


Hinomonshō Days

by FurudeKami



Series: Fire Emblem Collection [1]
Category: Fire Emblem Echoes: Mou Hitori no Eiyuu Ou | Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia, Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Ashe and Felix are fluffy together and it shows, Autism, Autistic Claude von Riegan, Autistic Felix Hugo Fraldarius, Crushes, Fluff, Gen, Golden Deer Ashe Duran | Ashe Ubert, Golden Deer Felix Hugo Fraldarius, Golden Deer Sylvain Jose Gautier, Implied/Referenced Sex, Light Angst, M/M, Multi, Mutual Pining, Nightmares, Nonbinary Felix Hugo Fraldarius, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Rating Varies By Chapter, References to Canon, Sexual Content, Slice of Life, Soft Felix Hugo Fraldarius, Trans Claude von Riegan, Trans Male Character, no beta we die like Glenn, the Fire Emblem timeline doesn't apply here so there's gonna be unexpected character interactions
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-07
Updated: 2020-02-13
Packaged: 2020-08-11 05:04:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 26
Words: 36,393
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20148106
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FurudeKami/pseuds/FurudeKami
Summary: In Hinomonshō City, anything is possible. Friendships formed from a delayed movie are definitely included.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story is going to be generally a T to M rated one, but chapters with E ratings will be labelled if you want to avoid those. It won't have any impact on the story, and nothing major will be skipped over.

A happy sigh resounded in the living room as the curtains were opened to reveal the light of the rising sun. The view of the sky painted with warm and comforting colors, and light filtering through the trees, was absolutely beautiful.

"What a lovely morning." Lukas said softly to himself as he took in the sight with a soft smile. "I have many a feeling that today will be a very good day."

He always enjoyed being an early riser on mornings like this. Having such a scene waiting for him to see when those curtains part, paired with the soft sounds of the birds and crickets this time of year, always was pleasant and lifted his spirits. There was one thing that wasn't always pleasant in the morning though...

Trying to wake up Python.

* * *

Lukas looked down at Python as he slept, snoring loudly and snuggling up to his pillow he had stained with drool. He must have been extra tired and deeply asleep if his mouth was open long enough to drool everywhere...

"Python, it's time to wake up. We must head out early and do our gym routine first before our other chores." Lukas spoke at normal volume, which was still not too loudly with how loud the snoring was.

There was no response. Python hadn't even moved.

"Python. Python get up."

He had only reacted enough to close his mouth, then the snoring continued.

Lukas had persisted, repeating his name over and over with varying tones from kind, to stern, to embarrassingly sweet and cutesy when he had given up hope of waking Python up. He was beyond relieved when the cutesy tones didn't affect the other man, despite knowing it wouldn't make a difference.

Lukas sighed loudly, shaking his head a bit before bending over to gently ease his arms under Python to lift him up.

"Aaaalright friend, it's time to wake up, and it seems I have no other choice than to just carry you."

Feeling himself being lifted up got Python to finally stir and wake up, looking at Lukas groggily before registering what was going on.

"Whoa whoa hey, what're you doin', Lukas?" Python slurred out, still too tired to really react physically aside from just looking around and at Lukas's face.

"You sleep like a log, Python." Lukas replied with slight amusement, "I had to pick you up to finally stir you."

He only got a "hummm..." in response before Python had given in to sleep once again, leaning his head against Lukas's shoulder. Lukas sighed again and shook his head with a frown, walking out of the room to the dining room with his friend in his arms. He had no problems resituating Python to be cradled in his left arm, freeing his right to pull a chair out at the table and gently sit Python down on it. He had stirred and lifted his head up quickly when he was seated, fighting the drooping of his still heavy eyelids as he watched Lukas wander about the kitchen behind him to prepare them breakfast.

"Thanks, stud." Python said with a smile when his breakfast was placed in front of him, waking up a bit more as he ate more of the food in his bowl.

They had been eating in silence for a few moments, before Python had looked up and noticed Lukas staring at him intently.

"Something on your mind?"

"Oh, it's nothing of importance," Lukas mused casually, "I was just curious as to what had been happening to cause such a deep sleep. Were you having an intense dream?"

"Nah, nothin' like that." Python stretched before continuing. "Just had a hard time getting to sleep last night, got me real tired not being able to sleep for so long."

Lukas stood with his empty bowl, walking back over to the kitchen to wash his dishes.

"Yes, I can imagine partaking in your usual of sexual activities with all those different women you bring home until near dawn wears you out quite an intense amount."

Python choked on the food in his mouth, he had inhaled quickly in shock and some food had shot down his throat. After his coughing fit, he shot a look of nervousness back at Lukas, who was still just meandering about the kitchen with his usual completely calm and neutral demeanor as he looked through the cupboards.

"You... hear that stuff?" Python asked worriedly.

"Of course I do," Lukas remained unaffected by this, "I rise between 4:30 and 5 o'clock in the morning, every single morning. I always hear the finale and aftermath of your trysts."

He almost smiled from amusement as he watched Python lay his head on the table and make noises from embarrassment.

"Gods dammit Lukas I'm SO sorry if it's too loud... I don't wanna make you uncomfortable with that stuff-"

"No need to worry Python, it doesn't bother me at all."

He looked up at Lukas again, looking into his eyes to try and gauge how Lukas was feeling. Like usual, he couldn't do it.

"Are you sure, dude? Like, I know you're aroace so I don't wanna make you bothered in any way by that."

"I'm positive, friend." Lukas smiled softly, and to Python's surprise, he could finally detect something from those eyes. Lukas was genuine with his words. "It's true that I'm aroace, but you have your own needs to tend to that I have no right, nor want, to prevent. If this entails you needing to have a sexual partner over often, have your fun. As long as you always use protection and risk prevention while trying to monitor your volume of course. And also try to not do these things so long at night when you need sleep."

Python chuckled and grinned at that last statement.

"Of course. Anything for you, stud."


	2. Chapter 2

"Aaaw, c'mon, what's the holdup?"

The movie that Lukas and Python had gone to see that evening had been delayed due to a random technical difficulty, and the wait was making Python restless.

"Aaauuugh, Lukas, how long is this gonna taaake? I'm gettin' bored!" Python shuffled around in his seat, now in a position that made it easier to bounce a leg and get out his excess pent up energy from sitting still for so long.

"I'm afraid I'm not sure how long this will last. I wasn't given specifics when I went to ask." Lukas shifted a bit as well, relaxing against the back of his seat and crossing his arms. "I'm beginning to become restless like you as well."

"You guys are getting all antsy too, huh?"

They looked behind them to find the source of the voice that spoke to them. He was was sitting in the seat behind the one to Lukas's left. He was extremely handsome, even Lukas had admired his looks, with intense green eyes and a smile that told many tales. His hair was short and wild, save for some that rested at his forehead and a small braid on the right side. The lighting of the room highlighted his sunkissed skin, and the golden eyeshadow and lip gloss he wore was only just visible enough to accent his features and make the color of his eyes stand out even more. It matched his golden sleeveless turtleneck and black jeans well, too.

He leaned over the seat in front of him a bit, folding his arms to rest his head on them as he looked at Lukas and Python with intrigue.

"You fellas sure don't look the type to see a movie like this, I would've thought you'd go for a more action packed one."

"I'm rather fond of deeper stories, and this movie has been given a very good review by fans of the novel it originates from, which interested me even more." Lukas smiled as he spoke, "when I have no business to attend to, I always love to just relax and nestle away in my blankets with a good book."

"Is that so? Nothing wrong with that at all, sure does help keep the mind working when you're invested in a good story." The man grinned a bit wider, obviously invested in more conversation. "There's so much beauty in letting yourself go to the worlds of the stories you take in. So much beauty in how people can see and express the same things so differently, even if these things are more subtle and unnoticeable until mentioned. And there's nothing more infuriating with it than trying to control what people interpret, and limiting the freedom of expression people have. Had a LOT of conflicts with my English teachers in school because they wanted us to find and interpret what meaning THEY got out of the stories we read and reviewed."

Lukas's eyes lit up as the man spoke, nodding and beginning to converse more with him. Python listened in intently, even though he couldn't keep up whatsoever at times, he was enjoying it regardless seeing Lukas so enthusiastic in a talk with someone else aside from him. Python pulled out his phone to check and see how much time had passed, and despite the talk seeming like much longer, only around 10 minutes had gone by.

"I must say, this is so much of a treat to have a person to talk to with such similar views as my own!" Lukas was smiling genuinely as he sat back up in his seat, "if it's no trouble, would you be up to planning out more conversations in the future? You've piqued my interest very much."

"Yeah, definitely!" The man grinned wide again, his eyes intense as he too sat up in his seat. "You're a really good person to talk to, and I've missed having such a talk with someone! My name's Claude, nice to meet you!"

"And I am Lukas, a pleasure." He and Claude shook hands, then Lukas looked to his right and motioned at Python, "and this is my best friend, Python. His tongue is sharp, but it very much matches his mind. He's quite the character."

Claude chuckled at Python's small momentary pout before they both reached over to shake each other's hands and greet each other.

"Now Claude, if I may ask, what has driven you to come to see this movie too?"

"Well, I had nothing to do and wanted to occupy my time somehow with some social input, so I came with my boyfriend to see this movie." Claude's smile warmed as he continued. "He wanted to branch out from his usual of indulging in knowledge of weapons and combat and strength training. He asked me for suggestions, so I just picked this movie since I heard of it from the novel, though I'll guiltily admit that I haven't read it just yet. Sometimes watching the movie first before reading the books hits me harder, especially if the movie is either really good and just as good as the books, or awful and the books are infinitely better."

Lukas raised an eyebrow at this.

"Well then, not a common thing to do consistently and consciously, at least to my knowledge. Though I suppose it makes a bit of sense, considering how movies are these days. You never truly know when they will be good, or plain awful, until you just watch them." Lukas shrugged.

The theater room door opened behind them, and the three turned to see a man coming in with two cups of soda in hand. His blonde hair was pulled back into a short ponytail, with some hair falling over his right eye and loose in a few other places too. His blue eyes were an intense shade like the green of Claude's as he looked around and saw them. His expression changed form alert to casual as he smiled and walked over to them, seating himself next to Claude and handing him one of the sodas.

"Thanks, Dimitri! Oooooh, cherry, they had it!"

"No problem, Claude. Anything for you."

Lukas and Python watched the two lean against each other happily as they drank their sodas, the happiness these two had being around each other enough to make Lukas and Python smile.

The four men looked around for a moment in surprise as the lights dimmed all around them. The movie was finally starting.

* * *

The four men stood outside the theater after the movie was done, Lukas and Claude smiling wide as they discussed the film and novel it was based on. Dimitri had joined in as well later on.

"I was very satisfied with that movie, it was very accurate to the novel and recreated it well!"

"I can tell the movie did a good job telling the novel's story by that grin on your face," Claude said with amusement, "I've decided I'm definitely going to give it a read and see how well the movie did telling the story myself."

"It wasn't bad at all. A change from what I usually focus on, but definitely not a bad one." Dimitri said as he stretched a bit.

"Eh, it was alright." Python stretched as well and let out a yawn. "Though I kinda kept falling asleep on and off through it, and was staring at Lukas most of the time while I was awake since he looked damn near hypnotized 'cause he was watching so intently."

"Anyway." Lukas was quick to speak to change the topic and attempt to hide his slight embarrassment at Python's words. "I never got your number, Claude. I could put the both of you in my contacts right away and we can plan more talks and trip days like this if you'd both like."

Claude and Dimitri gave their numbers to Lukas, who gave his own afterwards. Then, the four men finally said their goodbyes and headed in opposite directions to their homes to get some sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Many months had passed since that night. By now, the friendship between Lukas, Python, Claude, and Dimitri had become unbreakable. At this point, it seemed as if their two houses were joint owned since they spend so much time together, and take turns staying at one or the other.

Claude bent down to reach under the table in the main room of his home, pulling out a tall metal tin from the bottom shelf among the others under the table. He hunched over as he undid the latch and lifted the lid of the tin, eyeing the chocolate peanut butter cups filling it with intense hunger before putting a hand inside.

"Okay uuhhh one, two, three, four, five, six..."

He set the candy down on the floor next to him, and stared silently into the tin again. He looked back and forth a few times before grabbing three more.

"...Nine."

He set the last three with the other pieces, and closed and latched the lid again before placing the tin back on the bottom shelf of the table. He grabbed the candy, struggling a bit to keep all nine pieces in one hand as he stood and started walking towards the hallway to go to his room. He stopped in his tracks when Dimitri came into the main room, pausing to look at Claude for a moment then straight down to the hand with the candy.

"Uh, Claude, how many did you get?" Dimitri asked as he continued to look between Claude's hand and his face.

Claude didn't respond, only stared at Dimitri with wide eyes and brows raised. He pursed his lips and started walking slowly next to Dimitri as he made his way towards the hallway again.

"Claude, that's more than four pieces, how many are there? Claude, Claude- _Claude get back here!_ _Hey!_"

The more Dimitri had spoken to him, he had gradually gotten faster and faster until he just made a run for it, holding the candy close to him like a fragile treasure and hunching his back again as he booked it to his room and hurriedly closed the door. Dimitri sighed and shook his head, and continued to the kitchen to do what he had initially planned to.

* * *

Lukas had been casually meandering around the house, exploring a bit more to get used to the surroundings. He had been here and even stayed an entire week before, but Claude and Dimitri's home wasn't thoroughly explored by him yet. He eventually needed to head to the restroom, so he walked back into the hallway and opened the door to the smaller restroom. After finishing up and washing his hands, he came back out and headed to the main room to sit on the sofa.

He froze in his tracks, looking at Claude as he stood in the middle of the room drinking from a water bottle. What stood out to Lukas the most wasn't that Claude wasn't wearing much, but the sports bra he wore and nothing else for a top.

It suddenly hit Lukas, and his expression changed to one of complete surprise.

"O-oh! You're..."

"Trans? Yup." Claude grinned after finishing the water, and took a moment to stretch a bit. "Just haven't gotten around to telling you or Python. Was thinking I should today, so I guess it's only Python I gotta tell now. Lucky us I guess."

Lukas nodded in response. He was surprised, this was true, but at the same time he somewhat wasn't. It was a complex. But overall it didn't change anything, so he didn't dwell on this thought for long. He was happy that Claude was happy with himself though, that was certain.

"Python had texted me a few minutes ago and said that he will be here in about an hour, so there's plenty of time to prepare if you need to."

"Nah, I don't have to prepare for anything," Claude walked by Lukas to head to the kitchen and put the bottle in the recycling bin, then took a seat at the table, "not like this is a big thing for me. I'm not dysphoric, so it isn't hard to just put it out there when I need to. Just never really think about it often, since situations I see a need to point it out for never really come about too much. I'm just me, and if me being trans doesn't affect anything big for me then I'm not going to worry about telling people about it. I'm happy being myself, and I don't care if people know or not. Whether they know and agree or not, I'm still a man in the end."

Lukas smiled and nodded again, taking a seat next to Claude.

"That is a very respectable view on this matter, and it makes me very happy that you don't allow the views of others to affect you and your pride. Python will definitely respect it too, so there is nothing to worry about."

Claude grinned wide.

"Well, glad I don't have to worry about any difficulties arising from it. And now that I got this all established with you, I'm going to go get my favorite necklace and wear it around you guys from now on."

He stood and went into the hallway to head to his room for a bit. He returned wearing black sweatpants, a dark blue T-shirt, and a simple necklace with two dogtags. The front dogtag was designed to be a trans pride flag, and the one behind it was for a bi pride flag. Lukas smiled and gave another nod of approval.

"I like that necklace very much, where did you get it? Are there other pride flag choices?" Lukas asked curiously.

"I got it made at that store down on 1st Street oddly enough. There's pretty much every pride flag choice to choose from, and you can have up to four tags on one necklace depending on the kind of tag you want. The smaller ones can have four, but ones like these can only have two." Claude took the tags in hand and looked at them happily. "What ones did you want to get, if it's okay to ask?"

Lukas hesitated for a moment before answering.

"Well, I wanted... an acearo tag pair. I was curious since many people don't believe that anyone who is ace and/or aro are part of the LGBT community..."

"If _anyone_ tries to tell you that ANY identity under the A umbrella isn't a valid LGBT identity or tries to tell you you're 'broken', I'll put my fist through their chest hard enough to leave a hole equivalent to a .40 cal exit hole in the front _AND_ the back of their torso." Claude said, surprisingly dark and serious now.

Lukas leaned back away from Claude a bit and blinked in surprise, not expecting this from him whatsoever. He took a deep breath, and had calmed himself immediately.

"Sorry about that, I've just seen too many people I hold dear suffer for this very reason, and my tolerance of exclusion has completely worn away by now."

"I understand Claude, I was just surprised by this is all. I'm not used to such behavior from you, but it doesn't bother me, as such a reaction is very much justified." Lukas smiled reassuringly, and Claude had calmed. The two had fallen into a peaceful silence as they just spent time together after that.

Lukas had been looking into Claude's eyes this whole time. He noticed so many things about Claude that no one else had by looking into that entrancing color of them. Claude had more hidden about himself than he seemed to, and Lukas knew this from the start. It was one of the things that drew him in to the man in the first place that night at the movie theater; Claude had so much hidden from the world and those around him, and despite what even the most observant and cunning of people had missed, Lukas saw _everything._

He saw how rare a genuine smile came about from Claude. He saw the flash of mischief in Claude's eyes when speaking to people. He saw how the only two people who had ever elicited a genuine smile and happiness from Claude were Dimitri and Lukas himself. He saw how Claude's perceived flirty and charismatic nature was a ruse, hiding even more deep down from needing to be such a person for so long, all to ensure his survival. He saw how empty Claude truly is.

It's hard not to see all of this in Claude, when Lukas himself is the exact same.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was slightly difficult trying to word Claude's bits of dialogue involving being trans, but kinda taking looks here and there at my own situation kind of helped, I won't lie.


	4. Chapter 4

Lukas had been doing some thinking lately. Something he and Claude had spoken of hadn't left his mind since it happened.

* * *

_"So, just out of curiosity, how'd you come to find yourself, Lukas?"_

_"I'm sorry?" Lukas asked, "I don't quite understand what you mean, Claude. Could you elaborate, please?"_

_"Yeah, sorry 'bout that, I wasn't very clear with my question. I'm just curious about how you found yourself with your preferences. How'd you start on your path? What might have helped you realize that you're aroace?"_

_"Ahhh, I see." Lukas took a moment before continuing. "Well, I never quite felt...complete...if that's the right word for it. I've always felt broken in my own ways compared to everyone else around me, from being unable to feel much emotion, let alone attraction. Though I had indeed been in a relationship with a very kindhearted woman in the past and enjoyed it while it lasted, after we split, I knew I would be just fine if I never saw her again. Romance, sexual activities with others...never had truly appealed to me. And once I had been scrolling through LGBT related things online for a friend who couldn't search for something himself, and I came across the asexual and aromantic terms and looked through them to learn more, and after that I just called myself aroace and went form there since it felt right to me."_

_Claude listened intently, nodding his head in response._

_"Oh, well there's nothing wrong with that at all." He said casually. "Though, I will say, exploring once in a while isn't a bad idea. From what it sounds, you just came across one thing and stuck to it without branching out and exploring the other identities aside from the textbook aroace, though I could be wrong and refuse to assume."_

_Lukas took a moment to think. Claude was right, he had only found those two identities and stuck with them, and hadn't even looked into others to see if others fit him better. The more he thought about it, the more he felt curious about it. He felt like he should consider doing this, to see where it leads._

_"You are absolutely correct, Claude. And I...really should explore this, shouldn't I?"_

_"You do what you wanna do, Lukas," Claude grinned wide, "no matter what happens, you're still my friend and I'm gonna accept you no matter what!"_

* * *

Lukas had been scrolling through various articles, blogs, and other sites for hours as he searched up whatever he could think of about the A-umbrella. He read deeply into each identity he found, and made many mental notes of what ones stuck out to him compared to others. After going to the sofa in the main room to sit for a bit and take a break, his mind began to wander again.

"Hey, Lukas, you doing alright, dude?"

He was snapped out of his thoughts, looking up to see Python standing in front of him with a concerned look on his face.

"I'm just fine Python, why do you ask?"

"Now call me difficult, but I don't believe you whatsoever when you say you're just fine." Python crossed his arms and continued to look at Lukas with concern. "You don't ever stay in your room all holed up for hours without something being wrong. You can tell me, I'm here for you no matter what, Lukas."

He took a seat next to Lukas, not once taking his eyes off of the other man. Lukas looked into those eyes for a moment, noting the odd sensation he felt in his chest seeing how genuine this worry was for him. He was confused, but he didn't want the sensation to go away. He couldn't quite figure out what this feeling is, this emotion that made his chest feel tight, but not in a bad way.

"Lukas? Are you alright? Please, just tell me." Python's tone was soft as he spoke, making the feeling in Lukas's chest spread to his stomach. This warm and fuzzy feeling... he actually loved it. He wanted more of it.

"I'm alright, truly." Lukas replied, his own voice just as soft. "I've just... been doing research on things and decided on something for myself."

Python gave him a curious look, and said nothing as he waited for Lukas to continue.

"I want to explore my identity a bit. Unless it doesn't fit and I go back to what I've always stuck with before, I wish to explore the demisexual identity."

Lukas hesitated and looked away for a moment.

"Well... demigay to be exact."

Python was surprised, to day the least.

"Oh, uh..." Python was trying to find something to say in response. That hopeful look he managed to catch in Lukas's eyes before they had blanked out like usual again made his words falter. He was entirely accepting and supportive, _of course_ he was, but he didn't really expect things to turn in this direction. "I'm uh...having a hard time trying to find a way to respond. But I'll just say right now that no matter what you feel is right for you, no matter how much you have to change things up to see what you feel is right for you, I'm gonna support you all the way."

The genuine softness Lukas's expression changed to, and that sweet smile, brought a smile to Python's face too. He was happy that he didn't say the wrong thing, like he worried he might have.

"Thank you so much, Python. Your support and friendship means so much to me."

"Anytime, Lukas. We're gonna stay friends even after we're buried in a joint-multiple-people-grave-thingy, I hope you know that by now."

That elicited a laugh from Lukas, and the air had cleared and fully relaxed once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to try and experiment with my writing a bit more with this story and try to branch out, and this turn the story took is a way to do that. I REFUSE to completely get rid of Lukas being under the A-umbrella, I will NEVER do that, but I AM going to branch out with other A-spectrum identities. Where this will go from here for Lukas, I don't know, that's just for time to tell.


	5. Chapter 5

Python opened his eyes slowly, squinting at the light that filtered through his blinds and shone in his eyes. He took a moment to just relax and wake up a bit, until a realization hit him.

  
Lukas hadn't woken him up, and it's a weekday.

  
He quickly rolled over to grab his phone off of his nightstand and check the time, and his eyes widened a tad when he saw the time change to 1:30 P.M on the dot. He hurriedly got up out of bed, not letting the rise in his blood pressure or tripping over his own feet stop him as he walked quickly out of his room, and to Lukas's a few doors down. He opened the door and peeked in. And just like he feared, there Lukas was, fast asleep and curled up under his blankets.

  
"...Lukas?"

  
Python's worry only grew when Lukas hadn't even stirred whatsoever.

  
"Lukas. Hey. Wake up." He tried again, a bit louder now.

  
All he got in response was a deeper breath in and out, and Lukas rolling over to face him without waking. He tried once more, and almost couldn't hide his relief when Lukas finally opened his eyes, deep ruby staring at nothing in particular before slowly moving upwards to look up at the man in front of him.

  
"Hi Python." His voice was soft, almost sounding as if he had struggled to speak loud enough to be heard. "W'time is it?"

  
Python checked his phone again. "It's 1:33 in the afternoon dude, are you alright? Anything going on I can help with?"

  
Lukas looked at him silently, blinking slowly a few times as he struggled to stay awake. He finally nodded slightly, mumbling out a sinlge word before his eyes closed once again.

  
"Ibuprofen..."

  
Ahh, that solved the problem and helped Python figure it right out. Lukas wasn't feeling well.

  
"Yeah, I got ya, just relax there and don't try to get up just yet." Python said with a nod, and walked out of the room to the door right next to it, a closet that that had stored various things inside of on the small shelves. "Just lay there, and I'll take care of things for you today, okay?"

  
"Mm...hmm." Lukas was fighting sleep as hard as he could at this point.

  
Python walked away from that door, but returned to the bedroom in no time, holding two pills in one hand, two water bottles in the other. Lukas took his time sitting up, keeping his eyes closed in hopes this would prevent the soreness in his head from worsening. Python gently sat on the bed next to him, patiently waiting for Lukas to adjust before putting a hand out for the pills. Lukas gave a small nod before swallowing them, not even giving Python a chance to hand him one of the water bottles first. He took one of the bottles and got a big drink a few seconds after downing them, scrunching his nose as he grunted with a shiver and shake of his head at the disgusting bitterness coating his mouth.

  
"Well _shit_ Lukas," Python chuckled, "ya should've let me get you one of the water bottles before taking those."

  
"Shut it, it was faster." Lukas mumbled in reply with a pout before downing the rest of the water and tossing it into the small trash can he kept next to the bed. "My head is hurting only slightly right now, but just enough to be nearly as agonizing as if it were almost bad enough to make my vision spin. Taking pain meds too late will render them ineffective."

  
Python winced slightly and nodded in understanding. Lukas wasn't even trying to speak as formally as usual, and he had a subtle bite to the words he said, so it was obvious he definitely wasn't feeling well...

  
"Well, I'm gonna go make somethin' to eat real quick," Python stood and stretched before looking back down at Lukas, "wanna eat something now too, or do you wanna wait for a bit?"

  
Lukas looked to the side as he thought about it. He didn't like eating so shortly after waking up, since it sometimes made him extremely nauseous, especially at times like this. But if he didn't, he would feel nauseous regardless due to the lack of nutrients and the mess up of his sleep schedule. An eyebrow twitched quickly in annoyance before he let out a sigh.

  
"I might as well eat something now." Lukas scoot forward a bit before he turned to plant his feet on the floor. "But not too much at once. Nothing too intense, either."

  
Python put a hand up to stop him when Lukas went to stand, and shook his head when Lukas protested. It took a moment, with Lukas not having his filter to keep him from arguing back and forth, but eventually Python had gotten him to give up trying to get up and to just stay in bed. He grumpily pulled at his blankets to pull them over his head and around his form, looking down at nothing in particular with a near childlike aggravation present on his face. Python would've teased and called it cute, if food wasn't his focus right now. Or if it wouldn't risk a truly angry reaction and refusal of any further help in return. Lukas was maddeningly grumpy and stubborn while unwell, and willing to endure agonizing conditions and suffer nearly anything if it meant the one who struck a nerve would leave him be.

  
But, if he wasn't teased and intentionally annoyed, he was far more casual, and even sweet and affectionate with very few specific people since his filter and control weren't present. Python secretly treasured being the main one of those people, but of course he'd never say anything like that out loud.

  
He looked through the kitchen intently, trying to decide on what he should get for Lukas to eat. Being told "nothing too intense" made this much harder for Python to pick from in Lukas's case, knowing how that man's entire skeleton was his sweet tooth, and that Python didn't have anything whatsoever to equate to any degree in his whole body. He eventually just decided that cereal was good enough, and got a small bowl ready. He walked back into Luka's room, and couldn't resist smiling at the small pout on the other man's face as he sat back, supported by the bed frame as he kept his focus on his laptop's screen. He looked up at Python with a raised brow, and took the bowl with a small 'thank you' when the other walked over to sit next to him.

  
"Since you said you didn't want too much too much to start out with, I didn't get you a full bowl, so if you want more after that just let me know."

  
"Mhm." Lukas nodded. "Thank you Python, I appreciate it. You don't have to cater to me today, so I hope you don't feel pressured to do such a thing."

  
"Oh, _today_ I don't have to, huh?" Python grinned and raised a brow, "I've gotta cater other days, but _today's_ a freebie. Gotcha."

  
"You know what I mean, dammit."

  
Python chuckled and tapped Lukas lightly with his elbow, feeling a wave of pride wash over him at how quickly Lukas's annoyance shifted to amusement as he rolled his eyes at the playful gesture.

* * *

It was rather uneventful for a while, with Python staying next to Lukas on the bed as they relaxed and browsed various parts of the web for a few hours. There were only occasional breaks, when Python had gotten up to get Lukas small things to eat and drink, or when either needed a bathroom break. Python had learned a lot about Lukas during this time, that was for sure. What he thought was a formal and collected but considerate man even on his own, turned out to be the opposite of the case based on what things Lukas had been looking up and watching without a care.

  
"Wait wait wait wait, hold up, you have a playlist _specifically_ for vine compilations?" Python's eyes lit up seeing just how big the playlist he spotted was.

  
"Yes, why?" Lukas didn't look away from the screen as he added the video they had just finished watching to said playlist. "Vines have helped the world turn, improved people's lives, and even more. Since I lack the care to control what I say today, I'll even go as far as the say that vines are the shit."

  
He jolted slightly when Python let out a loud laugh, and stared at him as he was already reduced to wheezes.

  
"What? What the hell's so funny??"

  
"N-no, I-I'm sorry I just..." Python wheezed out, speaking slowly as he tried to control his laughter. "It's just that... I'm so used to you not saying more than 'crap' on a bad day and cringing when I say certain words, so going from that to nonchalantly saying 'vines are the shit' without a pause caught me off guard."

  
Lukas only rolled his eyes again, and the two returned to watching videos for a short while longer. Evening had rolled around before they realized it, and the two stood and headed to the kitchen to pick out something for dinner.

  
"Since I'm feeling much better," Lukas took out a box from the fridge and showed it to Python, "how does lasagna sound?"

  
"Ooooh fuck YES!" Python was already drooling just at the mere mention. "But you aren't gonna make it, I am."

  
Lukas sighed and looked at him sadly.

  
"Python, please..." Lukas said softly. "May I at least help you? I'm coming back around quicker thanks to your assistance, and I wish to express my gratitude to you for insisting on taking care of me when you didn't have to."

  
Hearing that tone, seeing the unmasked hopeful look in those eyes, it all struck something in Python. He didn't even know what had brought on the sudden thoughts that had brought him to say what he did next.

  
"You can help just fine by givin' me a quick hug, and staying with me in here to cheer up."

  
Both stood in their place, Lukas with raised brows in surprise, and Python wishing he'd just sink through the floor to escape his sudden humiliation at blurting that out so suddenly. Python was unable to make any moves, his mind too hyperactive at this point as he panicked and cursed himself internally for saying such a thing. He almost didn't notice a noise that threatened to come up when Lukas looked to the side for a moment, then back at him with a small smile.

  
"If that is what you wish, I guess... I can do that for you."

  
"I-I uh..." Python started, but just shook his head with a sigh and opening of his arms when words failed him at that moment.

  
The exchange was beyond awkward at first, that much was for certain, but once Lukas walked over and gripped Python's shirt, and the other wrapped his arms around him, it became much more tolerable. Lukas held on firm to the fabric as he closed his eyes and got used to the feeling, and Python looked down at him as he watched the other man's expression soften. He was glad that Lukas had his eyes closed now, else he likely would've gotten even more flustered as he felt his face heat up. This was the most peaceful he'd seen Lukas look in a long time when he wasn't asleep, if he was honest.

  
"Python?"

  
"Yeah?"

  
"What brought this request on all of a sudden?" Lukas asked softly, looking up at the other man to study him. He didn't mention the faint tint on the man's cheeks, and patiently awaited a response as he noticed just how conflicted Python was by the look in his eyes.

  
"I'm not gonna lie, I don't even know." He responded. "I saw how sad you were and that was the first thing that came to my head to say, and you know how I am when it comes to my mouth..."

  
Lukas chuckled and nodded, and wrapped his arms around the other to give a light squeeze before pulling away. Neither really wanted to let up just yet, but this was a situation to figure out slowly from the newness of it all.

  
"Well, it was far from unenjoyable, so I may even give you more when you want them. It was my first hug as well, so I apologize if I didn't do it quite right."

  
"Wh-..." Python gawked at him before letting out a laugh as he shook his head. "Lukas, there's barely any way you can fuck up something like a _hug_ if everyone involved is consenting it. You did fine, trust me, there's no rocket science behind this sort of thing."

  
Lukas sighed in relief, and Python let another chuckle free as he and Lukas began to get everything prepared to make dinner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote a majority of this chapter in the middle of the night with a bad headache, so it may or may not be a little rushed. It's also more new territory in my writing too, so apologies for that too.


	6. Chapter 6

Claude was eyeing Python like a hawk nearly the entire time the four men were out in the park, noting every little move made and every shift in tone. Lukas had spoken to him on the phone the night before after he had eaten dinner, and revealed the situation and the hug that happened. Since that, he was bound and determined to find every little bit of evidence he could to support his hunches.

  
Python chuckled and shouted as he ran around, hugging himself when Lukas grabbed him to lift him just off of the ground and shake him around a bit. Python had been playfully teasing him into a wrestling match, and it caught him off guard when Lukas jumped up and chased him around out of nowhere. When Lukas put him down, he continued his run with Lukas in pursuit, until he put his hands up and yelled "uncle sir, uncle sir!" with a barely concealed laugh. Lukas looked at him for a moment before shaking his head with a laugh of his own as he walked back over to the bench he was sitting at.

  
"Is something the matter?"

  
Claude jolted and looked beside him quickly, and heaved out a sigh when Dimitri sat next to him on the bench he had settled himself on.

  
"Nah, nothin's _wrong_ per se," Claude said with a grin, "I'm just people watching. The usual."

  
Dimitri nodded and followed Claude's line of sight over to Python and Lukas, watching how the blue haired man circled the bench Lukas was at as they casually conversed now. He took a look back at Claude, and it all hit him once he saw the wide grin on his boyfriend's face as he watched with barely a blink.

  
"Claude..." Dimitri sighed, "are you really doing what I think you're doing? Remember what I've said?"

  
"Yeah yeah, the whole 'don't let your hunches become ships' talk. Ya can't really blame me for looking for signs though when Lukas told about what had happened last night, and how it made him feel."

  
Dimitri only shook his head and crossed his arms in response, and scoot closer to lean his head down atop Claude's. He smiled when Claude shifted them to lean his head on the blonde's shoulder, then reached over to unfold his arms to grab a hand to hold.

  
"...Y'know someday we're gonna have to help Lukas out with this whole Python situation, right?"

  
"...Claude."

  
"Okay okay, sorry." Claude giggled and closed his eyes. "I'll let it go for now. I've got you scheduled for the usual spoiling with unconditional love and cuddles until further notice, anyway. Now c'mon down here and lemme give you some long overdue kisses."

* * *

The four walked inside Claude and Dimitri's home, taking off their jackets and shoes before going over to have a seat on the sofa. Claude leaned up against Dimitri and closed his eyes, and Dimitri passed the TV remote over to Python. Times like these were some of their favorites, just spending time together as they all just relaxed and let their worries fade away for a while. A ring from a set timer on Lukas's phone cut through the sound of the TV, and Lukas took it out to check it. He confirmed and turned it off, looking between the three men on each side of him.

  
"It's alright, just a reminder I set just in case we got too occupied with something. It's about time for all of us to get something to eat for lunch, do any of you have anything in mind?"

* * *

"'Ey, 'ey, 'ey Claude, y'know what this thing looks like-"

  
"Python, if you say 'a coochie' again I'm literally gonna make you deepthroat my hotdog for some practice."

  
And with that nonchalant and half-joking threat, Python quieted, and continued to eat the gyro he had ordered with a stare down at the table. Lukas cleared his throat quietly, and Dimitri let out a shaky breath as he contained a small fit of giggles that had emerged in his chest. Luckily the four were already almost done with their food, so the silence didn't drag on for a long time. They had all given a tip to the waitress that had served them, and made their way out of the small restaurant and down the sidewalk for a stroll. Today had been very bright, and everyone around had been in a good mood. Laughter from children, happy chatter from all ages, and overall positivity was downright radiating from the large plaza on this pleasant fall day, and that made the four men's walk even better. They passed by some garden areas, and spotted a large cart with gardening supplies atop it. Claude and Dimitri looked at it curiously, and their eyes widened as they saw a man walk over to it to grab the watering can on it. They walked a few steps closer, taking in this sight before them with wide and bright eyes.

  
"D-...Dedue...?"

  
The man looked up curiously, meeting their sight with a look of shock.

  
"...Claude? Sir Dimitri??" He said, a small smile on his face as the realization fully hit him.

  
"DEDUE!" Dimitri shouted happily, running over to nearly leap into Dedue's arms, hugging him tight with undecipherable ramblings with a tone of purely excited joy. "Dedue, I'm SO HAPPY to see you again!"

  
"I'm very happy to see you too, Sir Dimitri, it's been a long while!"

  
"Dededededuuuuuuuuuuueeeeee my booooooy!" Claude ran up and latched onto Dedue as well with a hearty laugh, snuggling into the embrace when Dedue shifted to wrap his arms around both of them.

  
Lukas and Python walked up to them with a smile as they watched this unfold, and Claude wiggled out of the embrace to drag them over the rest of the way.

  
"Guys, this is Dimitri and I's friend Dedue, he used to be Dimitri's bodyguard when we were younger and we were all really close!" Claude grinned and turned his look to Dedue now, "Dedue, these two are some really good friends we made like almost half a year ago, Lukas and Python! We all met at the movies when there was some weird technical thing and Lukas and I started making small talk, and we all just clicked from there."

  
Dimitri moved away from the hug to allow Dedue to introduce himself, shaking Lukas and Python's hands with humble greetings.

  
"If I may inquire, what have you all been up to lately?" Dedue asked curiously as he walked back over to the cart to also grab a small shovel and a seed packet, and planted the seeds in the small pots atop it as well.

  
"Well," Claude stretched and looked around, " we all just decided to head to the big park earlier this morning, we went back to Dimitri and I's house for a short bit to just watch some TV and relax, lunch time rolled around and we all went to the tiny restaurant a ways back down the street, and now we're here since we decided to take a walk together."

  
Dedue nodded in response, and excused himself for a moment to go water a few plants before returning. He checked to make sure that everything he had with him was present, and went to work organizing everything once again to put it all away. He motioned for the others to follow him, and they did so with Claude making small talk along the way. They had made it to the parking lot outside of the plaza, where Dedue had gotten the cart all loaded up in the back of the large SUV he had driven here. Claude looked around, and noticed just how close Dedue had parked by their own car, and grinned wide.

  
"So Dedue, ya got any plans for the rest of today? If not, wanna hang out with us? After you get all that stored where it needs to be and you shower of course." Claude asked with a hint of hope in his eyes.

  
Dedue looked between Claude and Dimitri, seeing how little these two masked, and trying not to be too swayed by the looks alone. He thought about it for a moment, and gave a short nod, smiling slightly again at the happy reactions he got in return.

  
"After I proceed to store my gardening cart and make myself presentable, would it be alright if I invite one more person? He would be very happy to see the two of you again as well."

  
"Why of course, Dedue!" Dimitri replied, "And forgive me for my curiosity getting the best of me, but who might this person be? Or is it a surprise?"

  
Dedue would have answered straightforwardly had Dimitri not added that last part, but it brought him to grin freely now as he put a finger up to his lips.

  
"It's a surprise."

* * *

  
The two vehicles parked outside of Dedue's home, and the group all got out of their vehicles to walk up to the door. Dimitri and Claude had almost begged to ride with Dedue, and Lukas and Python had almost failed to not laugh with amusement at how giddy the two of them were. Dedue found the house key on the keychain he kept all of his most used keys on, and unlocked and opened the door with a peek into the house.

  
"I'm home, are you still in here? I have a surprise for you." Dedue called out calmly.

  
Shuffling from the sofa in the main room was heard, and Dedue stepped to the side to invite the others inside. Claude only made in a few steps inside before he froze, letting out a happy gasp at the exact same time the other man in the house had done so.

  
"CLAUDE!"

  
"RAPHAEL!" Claude ran over to him, the same situation of a leap into his friends arms with joy. He giggled when Raphael lifted him up and hugged him tight.

  
"Claaaaude I missed yooooou!" Raphael shouted excitedly.

  
"Raphael I missed you tooooooooo!"

  
"Hello, Raphael, it's been a while!" Dimitri said as he walked up to the two.

  
Raphael greeted him with just as happy a hug, though he didn't go as far as to squeeze him tight and lift him up for a bit, just to be safe. He gave Dedue a fond look as he walked over and gave him a hug as well, and snuck a quick peck on the cheek before Dedue could stop him. Raphael only grinned in response at first when Claude and Dimitri have him looks of surprise, but after a few moments he raised his right hand to proudly show them a ring that he wore. Claude let out an excited squeal and hopped a bit in place, while Dimitri shot Dedue a smile.

  
"You guys are marriiiiieeeed!! My HEART IS SO _WARM!_" Claude shouted as he dramatically leaned against Dimitri and covered his face.

  
"Congratulations! I'm so happy for the both of you!" Dimitri hugged Claude and looked between the two.

  
"Thanks guys!" Raphael said. "So are you guys married too yet?"

  
Python snickered at how quickly Claude and Dimitri had become flustered, their body language becoming bashful as they looked at each other, then shook their heads.

  
"Oh? I'm surprised, if I'm honest." Dedue raised a brow as he spoke. "The two of you have been together for... five years now? If I'm remembering correctly?"

  
"W-well... marriage hasn't been a thing that either of us have seen as appealing..." Dimitri's voice was soft, "Claude and I are perfectly happy with what we have now, and haven't found anything to really sway this decision yet."

  
"Yeah," Claude added, "if some luck had decided to shine down on us and we found a way to get it official without all the money, tradition, and stress involved, we'd just go have it done privately and be married that way. But the one guy who did that sort of marriage moved out of the continent like a year ago with his husband to be with family because of some health related stuff..."

  
Dedue nodded in understanding, and proceeded to call the conversation to a pause to lead everyone into the main room to get comfortable. With one more kiss to the cheek he allowed from Raphael, he made his way upstairs to shower. The others had since made themselves comfortable, and had been chatting the time away as they all caught up, and Claude better introduced Python and Lukas to Raphael before he and Python went deep into a conversation.

  
It didn't take very long for Dedue to return, a fresh set of clothes and his ring now worn as well, and the group headed out once more to spend some time together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dedue would literally die from heartbreak if he lost his wedding ring, so anytime he needs to do any work he takes it off and stores it somewhere safe just in case. Raphael is the same way when he remembers, so neither question it if they see the other without their ring on and they know by now that it's to make sure the rings don't get lost somewhere. Total trust and loyalty between these two.


	7. Chapter 7

Dimitri couldn’t stop running. He couldn’t escape the faces of the past, the voices screaming out at him in pain, agony, and regret. He couldn’t escape the smell of blood that overwhelmed his senses as everything he wished to forget replayed all around him. The only things he could pick up on intelligibly anymore aside from his own screams for it all to stop, was a single voice. Only one, of the hundreds upon hundreds surrounding him, could he understand.

  


"Dimitri…" They said. "Dimitri, follow my voice…"

  


He hadn’t even noticed that he’d fallen to his knees, hands gripping at his hair tightly as he tried to drown out everything around him. He shakily stood, and started on his path once again, only walking now instead of the frenzied speed he’d been at before. Straight forward, just like the voice told him to. He tried his hardest to not look around, or behind him, as the voice had asked as well. This voice, it was… soothing. Made him feel safe for the first time, in this place he could only describe as Hell.

  


"What… do I do now..? I’m still so scared..." Dimitri asked softly, his voice shaking as tears rolled down his face.

  


"Everything will be alright, Dimitri." The voice replied softly. "Look straight ahead, and try not to move, okay?"

  


Dimitri nodded, and stood in his spot as he looked ahead intently. He squinted a bit when a large flash of light flooded his vision out of nowhere, but he still tried his best to not look away for too long. He picked up on the slightest of shifts in the light, and kept his focus on that until his suspicions were confirmed, and he saw a form emerge from it.

  


The light form moved a bit forward from the mass, and it dimmed slightly as the form got closer. It paused, until it shifted once again to become a visible human-like shape as it opened its arms wide.

  


"C’mere, I’ll protect you."

  


That voice… Dimitri could finally pinpoint who it belonged to. He walked a few steps, but couldn’t resist it any longer and ran over to pull the form close. They stayed like this for what seemed like forever as Dimitri trembled and sobbed his troubles away.

  


"It’s alright, Dimitri." the form’s light finally faded, as did the nightmarish carnage surrounding them. "I’ll protect you. Forever."

  


"Please don’t leave me…" Dimitri cried out softly, hugging even tighter, "I can’t lose you too, I’d die… I love you too much, Claude…"

  


Dimitri opened his eyes, expecting to see what he had before, but was surprised to find himself in his and Claude’s bedroom again, the full moon’s light shining in through the open window. Claude was holding him tight, not daring to let him go. They closed their eyes and pressed their foreheads together, not caring how much time had passed as they stayed in this embrace.

  


"Hey…" Claude spoke gently, moving his head just enough to press a gentle kiss to Dimitri’s lips before returning to his spot, "I love you. I will never leave you. _Ever._ You’re gonna be with me forever, and I’m gonna protect you when you need me to. You _never_ have to worry about me leaving you, and you’re not _ever_ gonna get rid of me."

  


Dimitri only nodded in response, and gave Claude one more kiss before pulling away with a smile.

  


"Thank you so much. I… apologize for being such a burden. I can’t help but wonder what I did to deserve a man like you, who is so willing to stay, even _spiritedly_ insists on it..."

  


Claude grinned, and waved it off before moving to get up and out of bed to stretch.

  


"Eh, does all that deep stuff matter right now? All that matters right now is that we’re both here, we both love each other, and that we get you all calmed down and at peace the best you can be again." He picked up his phone from his nightstand, and checked the time. "It’s 2 in the morning, but with how bad a nightmare that must have been, you don’t really wanna try and sleep again, do you?"

  


Dimitri looked down and shook his head, and also made to get out of bed and walk over to Claude. He pulled the other man close, wrapping his arms firm around his boyfriend’s back while rubbing up and down it to keep himself grounded.

  


"It’s all good then." Claude smiled and moved to plant a quick peck on Dimitri’s neck before returning the embrace. "I hadn’t woken up too long before your nightmare started getting too bad because of the usual insomnia reasons, so I’m all good to stay up with you."

  


Claude pulled away for a moment to go over and close the window, and returned to grab Dimitri’s hand and take him downstairs, and the two made themselves comfortable on the sofa. Dimitri laid down on his back, with Claude situating to lay on top of him. With the sounds of life outside singing their songs of fall's beginning much clearer now, it was easier to calm fully once again. Dimitri would never be able to put how thankful he was into human communication, no matter how desperately he desired to. With this warmth, this heart, this undying love, it gave him something to fight for. Something to hold on to when times were at their worst. With Claude and his guidance by his side, he had slowly began to believe that maybe, just maybe, he wasn’t as cruel and disgusting a monster as he thought he was.


	8. Chapter 8

Claude and Dimitri had gone out to the park once again for an early morning stroll. A vibration from Claude's phone surprised Dimitri out of the daze he'd been in, and he checked to see what had caused it.

A text message from someone Claude had nicknamed "Edgelord", with a purple heart emoji and a knife emoji next to it. Dimitri raised a brow curiously, and decided to read what it said despite the guilt eating away at his gut doing so.

'Hey, you and the bastard up yet? Or did you guys even head to bed in the first place?'

He stared at the text with complete confusion for a moment, until Claude's voice brought him to focus once again.

"Someone text me?"

"Yes," Dimitri said as he handed the phone over, "but who is 'Edgelord' and why do they address me so rudely while also expressing what looks to be concern?"

Claude read the message, then texted back.

"Oh, it's just Felix, don't worry." He said as he did so. "He was up last night because of his insomnia too, and we were talking back and forth for a short while after you fell back asleep and I told him what happened."

Dimitri raised a brow and looked at Claude with surprise.

"_Felix?_ He interacts with you? I never would've thought..."

"He sure does," Claude replied with a grin and another peek at his phone when it vibrated to signal another text, "Felix and I have been on friendly terms for a little while now. I think... three... years? Three years, is that right? I think it's been three years, yeah."

Dimitri widened his eyes, and opened his mouth to speak, until a voice in the distance did so first.

"'Eyyyyy, 'Mitri, Claude! What's up, guys?"

They looked up, and saw Sylvain walking up to them, a hand behind his head and the other giving them a big wave. And sure enough, next to him, stood Felix. His hair was half up today, with his bangs parted a slight bit to the side and a bit of extra hair in the front to help his bangs frame his face. He gave Dimitri a frown with a half-lidded gaze and a raised brow, and looked over to Claude and gave him a quick nod as his expression softened to a neutral.

"Heya, fellas!" Claude said cheerfully. "And how are my fellow bad bitch and my favorite edgelord buddy doin' on this ever so slightly chilly day?"

"Meh. Y'know, the usual. Sylvain's not exactly been _bad_ in the way you hope him to be, but he _is_ still a bitch, so he's got that much going." Felix replied blandly.

"You wound me, Felix." Sylvain faked a hurt expression and put a hand on his heart, and couldn't resist chuckling at the look of pure disinterest on Felix's face at the gestures.

"Would the both of you like to join Claude and I? We were just about to go get something for lunch, if the both of you like the food at the small restaurant nearby we would be more than happy if you'd like to tag along."

Sylvain and Felix both agreed, with Felix's nod more subtle than Sylvain's cheerful laughing and chatter, and the four all made their way to get lunch.

* * *

"So you and Claude here have been buddies behind my back for a while, huh? What brought it on?"

"Why does it matter?" Felix grumbled before taking a bite of the small meatloaf he ordered. "You and Claude are friends too and have been that way longer than he and I, it's not like this is some deep thing."

"Hey Felix, everything okay?" Claude asked him softly.

Felix looked up, and the two stared at each other for a moment before Felix looked back down at his food and nodded.

"You sure? Sylvain and I are both here for you y'know. Dimitri too, though he may not be the best considering your...stances."

"I'm good. Just... woke up on the wrong side of the bed. My aunt didn't make it any better by talking shit about my cats so shamelessly."

"You have cats?" Dimitri asked softly, fully interested in attempting conversation as he rested his head in his hands. "You've always been very good with animals, why would your aunt say anything bad about them? I'm more than sure they're just fine and behave well with how good you raise all your pets."

To Sylvain and Claude's surprise, Felix didn't react negatively to Dimitri speaking to him, and instead quickly responded back with no malice, but complete investment.

"I _know!_ She hates how one of them meows all the time, and it gets on her nerves and she gets all pissed off. But as always I just tell her to get over it, because that's just what any cat with any amount of Siamese in them does, and this specific cat is part tabby and part Siamese. Her name's Aqua, and I love her to death and will _NOT_ allow my aunt or _ANYONE_ else to get in the way of the happiness of me and my three wonderful little bundles of joy, just because one of them meows a lot!"

Dimitri took this chance to continue asking questions about his pets, which got Felix spiritedly speaking to him like he didn't consistently call Dimitri insulting names, and treat him with contempt throughout their lives after a certain point. Claude and Sylvain silently watched them converse, with Sylvain gawking in surprise at seeing just how excitable and talkative Felix had gotten out of nowhere, and Claude with the soft smile he had before. As the talk died down when the two had trouble finding ways to keep it going, the change of Felix's entire demeanor back to what it had been before was instant, and he sat back in his seat and picked at the small amount of food he had left with a frown.

"Hey, Felix, would you look up at me for a second?"

He looked back up at Claude hesitantly, seeing the other man put a finger up to his lips to tap them a few times.

"...O-oh. Yeah, I took it, I just... haven't been too grounded lately..." Felix almost mumbled his response, suddenly feeling a wave of anxiety hit his gut that made the whole room feel like everything with eyes had them right on him.

"Huh?" Sylvain's tone alone could give away how thrown off and utterly confused he was. "What's that thing he did mean? Took what?"

Felix took in a breath and quietly let it out with a sigh to compose himself, as Sylvain's questions brought a sudden shift from anxiety to a borderline angry annoyance at him. He did mentally thank Sylvain for being quiet when he was confused, however.

"My _medicine_, Sylvain." He replied quietly. "You _know_ I take medicine, that should've been your_ first fucking guess._"

He raised his eyebrows and nodded quickly, and apologized to Felix before looking back down at his own small remainder of food to finish it. No one else spoke for the remainder of the time, and Felix was beginning to relax again. He'd occasionally looked up from his now empty plate, and saw that neither Sylvain nor Dimitri had been looking at him, but Claude was. He only had that softness on his face still, and when Felix would look up at him to see him watching, he'd show that smile again. Normally someone staring at him would drive Felix insane on the inside and get him angrily telling them to either stop staring or to go away, but there was something about this look that did the exact opposite. He wasn't used to it, that much was certain, but he had slowly begun to just roll with it and let that compassion be accepted. He knew Claude was different, just like him, and would be more willing to compromise with others who were like him.

Having autism alone made his life much harder once he found out, but despite the hardships he'd faced with this, and his other mental hurdles that helped take the things he worked so hard for away from him, finally having someone by his side somehow that could understand him had put him at ease. He wasn't about to deny that chance, after he'd desired it for so long.

* * *

The tension seemed to lift once they went back outside, and they all had just been walking in silence while taking everything around them in. Felix and Claude had been ahead of Dimitri and Sylvain, and had begun casually chatting about various topics. Dimitri and Sylvain watched them talk with smiles on their faces.

"Y'know," Sylavin said calmly, "it caught me off guard at first, but seeing it more made me remember just how badly I wanted Felix to be happy and comfortable in the company of other people."

"Oh? Has he still been as reclusive and disdainful of social interaction as he was before?"

"Oh shit dude, he got waaaaaay worse about a year or two ago..." Dimitri noticed how sad the look in Sylvain's eyes had gotten before he hid a majority of it away, and that alone made him sad to as the other man continued. "One day, like right after I left his place to go to work, I heard from his aunt that Felix was getting overwhelmed way easier by things, and after he had calmed down a bit and was trying to focus on something, he started going into a fit of twitching. He's done these little twitches on and off for a long time already, but apparently these were so consistently happening that his aunt almost took him to the emergency room because she was so worried about him. She only didn't because he kept angrily refusing because he could still do things on his own. The very moment I talked my boss into letting me, I got the fuck out of there for the day and hurried back over there to stay with him. It was early into the evening though, and when I got there the twitching had apparently slowed down a lot more. He could still do stuff and talk while he was doing it, he wasn't wrong, but I think that made it even more scary in a weird way if I think about it."

Dimitri's eyes had gotten wide as he listened intently, taking this information in with shock.

"Oh, that's awful! Claude used to twitch quite a bit too, but he barely ever does it now since he started this medication and it's helped him so well... Do you think it could've been seizures?"

"I_ know_ it was seizures dude. Felix having autism, his cousin that lives with him that's on the severe side, all the stuff I knew already and the stuff I started looking into when I started watching their behaviors... Those had to have been mild seizures. Well... that one time wasn't as mild as other times, considering it fucked with him so bad he's super sensitive to sounds and lights and stuff now. He gets overstimulated and unstable way _way_ easier now too, which I can imagine drives him up the fucking wall when he wants to do what he used to do all the time, but isn't legally allowed to even work a small part time job now because of it..."

They fell silent after that, deciding to listen to the much more positive topics from the men in front of them instead. When he'd taken quick glances, Dimitri saw how relieved and happy Sylvain had gotten when Felix's demeanor went to that more casual one again on certain topics. Being spirited about the things he enjoys, and not being ashamed one bit of expressing his hyperfixation on them, that much had never truly changed had it? It never failed to make Sylvain smile when he thought about it.

"-then she told me that it was 'weird' to be doing that, can you believe that shit?!" Felix's tone had gotten hyper for a moment as he spoke, and how animated he had gotten as he also started gesturing with his hands made it clear how invested he was. "Ingrid had the _nerve_, the utter _AUDACITY_, to tell _ME_ that _I'M_ weird for doing what I do! Like, _bitch_, I _KNOW_ I can't fight anymore and can't own any weapons, is it _really_ that weird to see me just doing something else to occupy my time instead of just sitting and wasting away? I may have given up on life for the most part, but that doesn't mean I'm not gonna keep on living and making the best with what I have out of pure spite, like she _can't_ do apparently. Yeah, depression's a bitch, I would know all too well, but c'mon now!"

Claude shook his head as he listened, but had let out a giggle he'd been holding in shortly after.

"What? What happened? What'd I do?"

"No, it's nothing you did," Claude giggled again, "it's just how you said that. 'The _nerve_, the utter _AUDACITY!_'"

He grinned when Felix pouted and looked away, and things fell to a peaceful silence shortly after. They had slowed down a bit to let Dimitri and Sylvain catch up, and the four continued their walk for a while longer.

* * *

Felix had been lying on his bed for hours now, just staring up at his ceiling silently and taking in the roughness of its texture as he let his mind wander. Just milling over things in his life that stood out to him, like how he had trained himself to do to not dwell on having what was essentially his main drive in life taken from him. Claude and Sylvain's faces kept popping up in his thoughts. How they were both there for him, how they were the ones that never treated him any different after learning of his circumstances, how they still obviously saw him as the man they knew before, even after that one day of twitching fits had changed him even more.

How they supported him. How they cared. How much he was thankful for their sentiments, but still so hesitant to make his mutual sentiments openly known out of the bitterly prideful front and avoidance of such things he had instilled in himself long ago. But, with his dreams of being a swordsman and a fighter overall, and chances for any other kind of job taken from him, as well as both his father and brother being long dead, he wasn't really sure what else he had been holding onto these old habits for anymore.

"...Fear?"

Saying that word aloud helped him figure it out. It was fear. It had to be. He didn't know what else it could be aside from fear. A fear of losing the last things he had from his past that weren't ripped away from him. A fear of change. A fear of throwing away this old self he'd fabricated to replace the desires and feelings he had, but had begun to see in himself as weak, for good. Even the fear that if he _did_ throw this front away, he'd throw what left he had to remember Glenn away, too.

"I want to do it. I want to at least try it. But how? Where would I even start?"

The sound of a questioning meow snapped Felix out of his thoughts, and he looked up to see Aqua and his two other cats jump up onto the bed to walk up to him. He grinned and giggled when Cherry, a pure black cat with honey brown eyes and a pretty pink nose, had walked up closer and began to sniff his face. His giggling got a little louder when she began to lick at his eyes here and there, and he moved a hand up to scratch behind her ears.

"What're you doing, Cherry?" He asked with amusement, and his expression softened when he opened his eyes to look at her. "Are you guys worried about me? I'll be alright, don't worry. Just thinking about stuff like usual."

He sat up, and scooted close to the metal chair at the side of his bed to start using his laptop he had propped up on it to hold up the screen. His smile grew wider when Cherry climbed to curl up in his lap, and the other two laid against his legs. This silence was much more peaceful for him now, his worries fading away as he just enjoyed himself with the company of his cats and scrolling through the social media site he was on. He'd started zoning into reading something that had piqued his interest, with everything around him going silent as his focus shifted. He'd been completely focused now, but it didn't last long as a voice cut through and snapped him right back into reality again, with the sounds of the world around him quickly fading back in to his ears as if he'd emerged from being underwater. The resemblance was alike enough to almost make his eyes water from the slightly painful sensation of the searing pressure spreading upwards behind them until his hearing returned to normal.

"Hey, you okay in here?"

He sighed and furrowed his brows in annoyance, but nodded. "Yeah. Focused on reading something, so hurry up and come sit down if you're staying the night again. Don't flop down though or you'll make the cats get up, and that'll piss me off."

He heard shuffling and two sudden soft thumps on the floor as shoes were removed, and soon after the weight of the bed shifted next to him as Sylvain sat down and peeked over his shoulder to see what he was looking at.

"Something about ADHD, huh-...wait, is that Tumblr?"

Felix didn't say anything for a few moments, ignoring the question to finish reading the post, then to like and reblog it. After that he only nodded, and continued his scrolling.

"Why aren't you on Twitter or anything?" Sylvain asked. "Like, I'm not judging that you're on Tumblr or anything like others might, it just caught me off guard is all with all the bullshit there paired with your lack of tolerance of it."

"I _am_ on Twitter." Felix replied blandly. "I was on Twitter first, and almost never came to Tumblr unless it was for specific things when I first made my account. But over time as I just stuck around and explored, I pretty much am on Tumblr exclusively despite the NSFW ban and the massive loss of users, and only check Twitter and other sites on really rare occasions. Tumblr fits me better in terms of posting systems and mechanics of things. Plus my stuff I post gets more recognition here."

Sylvain nodded in understanding, and watched curiously as Felix checked the notifications for his blog and scrolled through it a bit. Many things caught Sylvain's eye, but out of everything that did so, it wasn't the fact that Felix had reblogged memes and jokes constantly, but the images of artwork he scrolled past without even acknowledging them.

"Hold up, who did that art? It was really good, can you go back up so I can see it-"

"_No._"

How quick Felix was to respond with that slightly defensive tone caught the other man off guard. And despite having a feeling it wouldn't be a good idea, and didn't really want to pester him for fun like usual this time, he persisted.

"C'mon, please? Did you draw it? Is that why?"

"Because I said _no_, Sylvain."

Well, that didn't work. Of course it didn't. That doesn't mean there wouldn't be one last attempt.

"Felix, please?" Sylvain tried a softer tone of voice now, remembering how Felix had been when Claude did so earlier, "you know I like art stuff, and if you drew it I definitely wanna see it, I didn't know you liked to draw and it's really cool!"

A few long moments passed in silence, with Felix no longer scrolling. To Sylvain's surprise yet again, Felix gave in and started to scroll back up. The way he was tensed was barely noticeable, and Sylvain wouldn't have noticed if he wasn't actively looking for any changes in his friend's body language. The page suddenly went blank for a moment, before loading up specifically images. Sylvain peeked up at the top of the side dash, and noticed '#ureart' typed in the search bar. His eyes lit right up as he took in what Felix had shown him.

Felix was actually _extremely_ good at drawing, this was noticeable right away, and Sylvain kept his eyes glued to the screen with his hearing focused as Felix slowly began to open up and talk about what he posted. There was a lot including a character that Felix had called 'Ure-SHII', and he opened up much more when he was asked about this character.

Sylvain was taking in every single bit of information he could at once. The tenseness was completely gone now, and he intended to savor every single moment of being the one on the receiving end of such carefree chatter. It warmed his heart seeing Felix so open about his interests again. It reminded him of good days long ago, way back when they were children without a care in the world. He missed these moments more than he thought he did, and he swore to himself to make every moment he had to experience them again as much of a treasure to forever cherish as if it were the last.

After all, as it always had been despite becoming better at hiding it as he got older... Felix's happiness was his happiness, too.


	9. Chapter 9

“Now I’m not one to complain about things, and I know I’m gonna sound like a huge asshole when I say this despite it not being my intention at all, but this is absolutely atrocious and I want nothing to do with it.”

Claude and Felix stared down at their plates they’d been given in complete disgust, feeling the hints of nausea in their stomachs just looking at what was presented to them. Annette shot them an angry look when Flayn sulked away sadly.

“Claude!” Annette said angrily, “at least take a bite before you say that! Don’t be so mean to poor Flayn, she tried really hard on it!”

Felix whined almost inaudibly when he lifted his spoon with some of the food on it, already knowing just by looking closer that neither he nor Claude would be able to stomach it. Dimitri had long finished his own plate and complimented it, which likely made their case a little worse and harder to avoid, considering neither Flayn nor Annette knew Dimitri didn’t even have a sense of taste or any other sensory sensitivities to make him react negatively. He’d been watching them this whole time, and noticed how they only got more pale in the face the longer Annette had been trying to nag them into forcing it down.

“C’mon, hurry up before it gets cold-”

“Annette, please leave them alone.” Dimitri finally stepped in. “They have bad sensory issues with food and can’t force anything they don’t like or can’t have down. If you make them eat and they get sick to any degree from it, I won’t be happy at all.”

She and Flayn looked between Dimitri, Claude, and Felix a few times, but finally gave in and took the plates back once they realized just how sickly the two looked now. Dimitri just smiled and nodded when Claude and Felix both gave him a relieved and thankful look. Of course the girls still pouted for a while, but they had quickly gotten over it as they watched with worry at how Claude and Felix couldn’t even eat anything at the moment, and just sipped from their water bottles they had instead.

“How bad are these sensory issues, guys? You two still look like you’re about to throw up…” Flayn asked.

“I’ll give one example. But beware since it’s gross.” Felix shuddered as he recalled the memory with an increased sickness in his stomach. “My aunt made beans one time for dinner, and she was going on and on and getting mad at me for not eating it. Long story short, I did it just to shut her up, and I gagged so loud with the spoon barely in my mouth that the entire house went quiet, and then I threw up everywhere the moment I even started moving my teeth closer to chew the first time. After that, she never tried to force me to eat anything I say I can’t handle ever again. This was only a year or so ago, by the way.”

Everyone winced at the story.

“Eeeeewww, I’m glad I already ate a bit earlier, or I would’ve lost my appetite! That’s so gross!” Annette shouted.

“Well, he did warn that it would be.” Claude added. “And as an addition, I’m so glad I’m not the only one I know who reacts that badly to beans… Eugh...They’re gross AND they mess with my sensory issues…”

Felix only nodded before crossing his arms on the table to lay his head down on them with a groan.

“Is there anything specific that you can name at the top of your head that we can avoid giving you so you don’t get sick?”

Claude looked at Annette for a moment as he thought about it.

“Well, steamed vegetables usually are best to steer clear from, but under certain circumstances I can eat them just fine. I actually love how they taste, but the texture messes with me a little too much most of the time...”

Felix nodded in agreement, then Claude continued.

“Let’s see… I dunno about Felix, but I myself usually hate cold things that I have to chew, or are likely to come in contact with my teeth for too long. Frozen yogurt messes with me real bad since it’s...well...cold, and feeling the ice in it makes my body react in a way that’s like ‘wait, this is yogurt, but I feel solid things in it that aren’t fruit. Welp, time to get sick now since yogurt isn’t supposed to feel like this without fruit or something in it.’ But stuff like ice cream, especially ice cream sandwiches, are way more than good for me to have. I LOVE them.”

Felix nodded again with much more enthusiasm.

“Wait, you like ice cream?” Claude asked him. “I thought you didn’t care for sweets.”

“I don’t,” he replied without raising his head, “I was just nodding in agreement at how stuff like frozen yogurt isn’t good to have.”

“Oh. Okay then.”

He was about to continue, but the sound of a door opening and shutting nearby interrupted them. Claude and Dimitri gave the two people who had walked into the room big grins.

“‘Ey, Teach One ‘n Teach Two! You guys ready to head out yet?”

They nodded, and Dimitri, Claude, and Felix all stood to walk over to them.

“Hey guys,” Claude turned to look at Annette and Flayn, “I hope you guys don’t take what happened as an insult. It wasn’t our intention and we just wanted to be honest and not just risk anything, and something bad happen in response.”

“No, it’s okay, really!” Flayn smiled again and she waved a hand dismissively. “We know the context now, it’s okay! Now that we know we can be more careful from now on so you guys don’t get sick!”

Claude grinned at her, then gave a wave goodbye before following the others out the door.

* * *

"What was going on in there while we were speaking to Seteth? I heard Annette shouting, but couldn’t understand what she had been saying."

"O-oh, Claude and Felix already knew in advance that they would have negative reactions trying to eat what had been served, and she was attempting to force them to eat before I stepped in…"

"I see."

"He got her all calmed down though, so it wasn’t any trouble either of you need to bother with, Byleth." Felix said.

Byleth only nodded, and said nothing else in response as he just looked around at the scenery around them.

"So uhhhh Teach, what’d you talk about in there, huh?" Claude asked with a grin and a mischievous flash in his eyes. "_Secrety secrets~?"_

"Yes. We will not be disclosing what had been discussed. I know how you often attempt to talk Beres into spilling the information after failing with me, so I will say now that it’s pointless. She’s my twin sister, and you know the both of us well enough by now to know we aren’t ones to give in to such peer pressure."

"Won’t stop me from trying though~!" Claude replied with a wink.

* * *

Claude had decided to go outside by himself for a while after Dimitri had fallen asleep early, and he stood still in his place as he stared up at the stars.

_'So uhhhh Teach, what’d you talk about in there, huh? Secrety secrets~?'_

_'Yes. We will not be disclosing what had been discussed. I know how you often attempt to talk Beres into spilling the information after failing with me, so I will say now that it’s pointless. She’s my twin sister, and you know the both of us well enough by now to know we aren’t ones to give in to such peer pressure.'_

_'Won’t stop me from trying though~!'_

That exchange echoed in Claude's head repeatedly as he kept his gaze to the sky.

"...You didn't even try to deny that there's some secretive discussion going on between the three of you. Awfully odd to be so reclusive with what you speak of, Byleth."

As he mumbled to himself, his eyes had slowly begun to lose their usual mask of a mischievous shine he kept up. His expression neutralized, eyes finally much foggier than they were before as he resisted a scowl at how his mind had begun to race before he could prevent it.

"How are the both of you so blissfully unaware, so blind to what's going on...?" His voice had gotten a tad deeper as he spoke to himself. "How do you two not notice something is off about them?"

He finally let out a sigh, unable to control the anger that spread across his face. His head dropped, and he closed his eyes.

"How... do you not remember?"


	10. Chapter 10

Python had just been sitting on the sofa in the main room, allowing himself to get lost in his thoughts. He wasn't one to do this often, since he usually tied dwelling on thoughts with dreamers, which were kinds of people he hadn't been too fond of usually, but he allowed himself once in a while to not let himself get too bad off overall or lose sight of things he found important.

A vibration from his phone on his lap cut these thoughts short, and he checked it. He didn't recognize the number, and confusion spread across his face at the text he had received.

'Hello, is this Python?'

'Yeah, who's this?'

The response took a few seconds, but once he received it, his eyes grew large as saucers and his jaw dropped.

'It's Forsyth! I got a much better phone and I never deleted your number after I left, so I could contact you again once the day I got it came around!'

'WHAT YOOOOO DUDE IT'S BEEN SO LONG CALL ME RIGHT FUCKING NOW'

Another few seconds passed, then his phone began to ring, with that same number displayed. He answered it immediately.

"Hey, you fuckin' nerd! How's life been treatin' ya?"

"Good grief, Python." Forsyth replied with a chuckle. "I've been very good, and I could finally finish what I set out to do in stride. How about you?"

Python stood up to pace through the room as he talked.

"I've been real good too, just goin' along with life and livin' the best as it does. Lukas and I made some new friends almost a year ago and we're all pretty much inseperable now when we don't have anything planned."

"Oh, that's very good!" Forsyth's tone was even more chipper at hearing this. "I've been thinking about the both of you constantly, you know, so I'm very happy and relieved that you're both doing well! And speaking of the both of you, I have some good news!"

Lukas peeked his head into the room, and curiously watched Python pacing back and forth with a grin from ear to ear as he spoke on the phone.

"Yeah?" He asked, "What news might that be, eh?"

"Weeeeeellll..." Forsyth paused for a moment, then continued with very obvious excitement based on his tone alone.

"I'm living in the city again! After I finished my schooling and work where I moved before, I found a much better job back in the city so I moved back!"

Lukas raised a brow in surprise as Python gasped, almost yelling his "YESSSSS!" loud enough to be painful. It did make Lukas jolt a slight bit in response, though.

"Dude, you NEED to find some time to come by for a bit! I wanna see that nerdy face of yours again and soon!"

"Of course I will! I have plenty of free time for the next week including today, so if that's a good timeframe for the both of you I could come by sometime soon!"

"Is it good... _now~?_"

That's when Lukas decided to walk a bit further into the room, and leaned up against the doorframe with his arms crossed. His curiosity was at its peak now.

Forsyth let out an amused chuckle at Python's almost flirty sound as he asked that question. "If it's really what you want, I can do that. Do the both of you still live where you did before? If so there's no need to refresh me, since I kept your address saved, too."

"We sure do, so anytime you're ready, just c'mon over."

"Alright then, that makes it much easier! I'll be by in about an hour at latest, alright?"

"Sounds good to me!" Python replied. "I'll go ahead and let you go so you can get ready and head on out. See ya in a bit, dude."

After one last goodbye, Python hung up, a big grin on his face as he sat back down on the sofa.

"Who was that you were talking to?"

Python looked up to see Lukas coming over, and scoot over a bit to make room for the other to have a seat next to him.

"It was Forsyth, dude! He's back and is gonna be here within the hour to visit!"

Python somehow managed to grin even wider seeing how Lukas also smiled at this. It brought back some good nostalgia, and it was almost intoxicating at this point to be so hyperactively happy after so many years of not experiencing this feeling.

* * *

"'Eeeeeeey, c'mon in ya nerd! Make yourself right at home!"

"Welcome, Forsyth. We hope you enjoy your visit."

"Thank you both very much!" Forsyth said with a smile and nod to the two, and he walked a ways in while looking all around. "Your home is still as comfortable as I remember it, you've done a very good job keeping it in peak condition!"

Python chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. "Thanks, it's all because of Lukas and his handy little tips and tricks that we can keep it looking so good, I'm gonna be honest with ya."

"Nonsense, you're the most domestic of the two of us. You put in much effort yourself."

Forsyth giggled at Python's wave of dismissal at what Lukas had said, and followed Python over to the sofa to have a seat, and the conversation only got livelier from there.

After a short while, Forsyth began walking around to explore and become familiar with the layout of things again while Python took care of some things elsewhere. A sweet smell drew Forsyth right into the kitchen, and the very first thing to come into his view was the batch of cupcakes sitting out on the counter. They looked absolutely perfect to him, the pure white frosting on them spread beautifully across every single one. He stepped closer, and smiled dreamily as he took in the smell. He reached out to take one-

** _*SMACK*_ **

The sound resounded sharply in the room as Lukas slammed the spatula he'd been carrying onto the counter beside Forsyth, and the he yelped and drew his hand back close to himself quickly in response.

"Please refrain from touching those sweets until they are given to you, Forsyth." Lukas said sweetly.

Forsyth's blood ran cold seeing how polar opposite this smile and the look in those eyes were. The smile was sweet, but those eyes were wide and completely empty.

"After all..."

When Lukas leaned in, Forsyth almost wanted to scream in fear as that look became even more terrifying. The deep ruby that looked right up into the emerald of his own eyes was a void that bore into his very core.

"...from what I've heard, **_it's very hard to navigate through life without any fingers._**"

The end of that statement brought out what had been pushed down, that was for sure.

"Eeep-! I-I-I'm SO sorry, Lukas!!"

As if on cue, in came Python, his expression one of confusion.

"What's goin' on in here?"

Forsyth risked a peek back to Lukas, and shuddered as he saw how the other's demeanor had returned exactly how it was before the incident arose. Lukas looked at Forsyth, then looked at the cupcakes with a point in their direction.

"Ohhhh, I get it." Python said casually. "Yeah, I forgot to warn you Fors, don't touch any sweets you see that Lukas didn't come to you about to let you know they're there. Even then you might wanna ask regardless, just to be on the safe side. He won't hesitate to make his desires to cut off your fingers with whatever he may be carrying at the moment known if ya grab somethin' without permission..."

He gulped, but nodded.

"You were unaware of this before and are aware now, so from this moment on we will move forward as if this never happened, alright? You've been completely forgiven." Lukas said softly and gave Forsyth a nod.

The genuinely guilty look that flashed in Lukas's eyes helped ease his nerves a slight bit, and Forsyth nodded back.

"Well, I did attempt to just start grabbing things I wanted without permission, that was very very rude of me..."

"Meh, it's all good now, Lukas said he forgave you so it's all pretty much water under the bridge."

A loud growl from Python's stomach interrupted them, and with a chuckle Lukas continued on through the kitchen to prepare their dinner.

* * *

"It's getting very late, would you both like me to head out now? I don't want to keep the both of you up too long if you have a steady time established for heading to bed."

"It's no trouble at all, Forsyth. If you'd like, you may even stay over for the night if it wouldn't interfere with your schedule."

Python and Forsyth both looked at Lukas with surprise. Python looked back up to the other, who had been deciding what he wanted to do.

"I... I would actually very much enjoy spending the night over with the both of you." Forsyth finally said. "It's been many years since we last spent time together, so I want to make this last and enjoy it as long as I can."

"Sounds like a plan to me." Python replied softly, his own smile he had becoming gentle as he saw the look on Forsyth's face. "Let's go ahead and get things all settled in, and get our sleeping arrangement all planned out, yeah?"

* * *

It was different from the usual, but lying down on the floor in the main room on a makeshift arrangement made of as many blankets as Lukas and Python could find had been much more comfortable than they thought it would be. The room had gotten a bit chilly with the thermostat set at what it was, paired with the temperature outside being on the cooler side too, so being under soft blankets so close to each other made it even better. It had Python out and snoring before they all knew it.

Lukas rolled over, and opened his eyes right as Forsyth had. Lukas smiled in response to the one he was given, and they had taken a moment to just look at each other.

"I missed both of you so much, I hope you know that." Forsyth whispered.

"And we missed you too, Forsyth. I'm very glad you decided to stay over with us, it feels like you never left, and we're back out in our camps while we were still mercenaries long ago. How the three of us would all share a tent, we'd be lying down in our sleeping bags, and we'd sometimes stay up late telling each other stories when there were no battles to fight that had us waking to pack and go before dawn..."

Forsyth almost blushed at how soft Lukas's voice had become, and how gentle his expression had looked. It made him happy that Lukas was so fond of the things they had been through together, just like he himself had always been.

Python let out a snore that was a bit louder than the others, and after a moment of silence Lukas and Forsyth quietly laughed at the interruption. They continued to talk for a while longer, but eventually they couldn't fight the heaviness of their eyelids anymore, and fell asleep with one last goodnight.

* * *

Python grumbled a bit as he opened his eyes, moving an arm up to block the sun shining directly into them through the window nearby. He looked up at the clock on the wall, and internally praised himself once he saw how early he had woken up on his own. It was 6:35 A.M, still early enough to get away with not getting up for a while longer, according to Python. He rolled over, and froze once he saw the other two next to him.

They were both fast asleep, and holding each other close.

He sat up after a moment of regaining his focus, and continued to just watch the two men sleep. He saw the tiny hint of a smile on Forsyth's face, and how innocent and at peace Lukas was as he snuggled up into the other's chest. He'd completely deny it around others, but there was no doubting it to himself thinking this was beyond adorable. It was all too innocent and cute compared to what he was used to seeing, especially from someone as introverted and touch-averse as Lukas. He couldn't resist himself, and reached out to gently pet Lukas's hair as he still watched the two sleep with a small smile.

"Mmmnnnooo... Python..."

The movements of his hand slowed to a stop hearing Lukas mumble his name like that. But once the coast as clear, and he was sure Lukas had still been asleep, he started again. He liked how soft his hair was, and how little it had tangled during the night, so running fingers through it had been much easier. He'd finally been satisfied, and pulled his hand away to rest in his lap with the other.

"You're... real cute like this, Lukas." Python mumbled to himself. "Not all tired 'n empty lookin'."

He'd never really taken a moment to just look at Lukas like this while he was asleep. He'd had chances to, but something always ate at him that made him feel like he shouldn't. He didn't know what was different now that made that feeling be lacking, but he just pointed a finger at it being early and he still needed time to wake up to avoid thinking about it further. One thing he didn't care much for was going deep in his own thoughts. So, instead of letting his thoughts wander too much for his tastes, he kept watching Lukas and Forsyth sleep peacefully.

The ring of an alarm cut through the silence around them, and the moment it began, Lukas and Forsyth's eyes opened. Lukas pulled away from the embrace and reached a bit above his head to grab his phone, and turned the alarm off. They took a moment to wake up a bit, then looked at each other with a smile before shifting their gaze to Python, who'd been trying to keep a calm expression despite the sudden rush of panic he felt. He didn't even know why he felt like he'd been caught doing something he shouldn't have been, but it wasn't like he could prevent it.

"Good morning, how long have you been awake?"

"Uh..." Python had trouble formulating the words he wanted to say, seeing that look on Lukas's face and hearing how small his voice was. He checked his own phone to see how long it had been. "Since 6:35. I've just been...sitting here."

He wanted to sink into the floor again. It was already 8:55 A.M. He hadn't even noticed how long he'd been in his spot watching them, but checking the time felt like the realization was a brick that had hit him right in the face. Neither Lukas nor Forsyth seemed the least bit affected by waking up in that position, and Python would've expected at least Forsyth to be flustered, knowing how shy he is involving anything that could be hinted as intimate.

"This is a change." Forsyth said with a smile, "Lukas and I being the ones to wake up after you, and not the other way around with us having to persistently bombard you until you barely open your eyes. You should actually sleep more often!"

Lukas chuckled and nodded, then stood to stretch and walk over to the window near them to raise the blinds. After taking a moment to look out the window, he moved to the others in the room and gave them the same treatment. He continued to stare out of the window by their sleeping arrangement for a while, taking in just how beautiful it was outside. Dark clouds had moved in and covered the sky, and made the scenery a peaceful dark. A rumble of thunder jolted Lukas out of his focus, and he saw a few little droplets of water hit the window before it began to pour.

He was given a look of surprise from Python and Forsyth when he made his way back over to lie back down and snuggle up under the blankets with a small sigh.

"Lukas? What might you be doing?" Forsyth asked curiously. "Is something the matter?"

"It's a rainy day, and Python doesn't have work today, so it's a sleep day." Lukas replied before scooting a bit closer to Python to rest his head slightly on the other's leg. "Rainy days are always sleepy days."

Python sighed and shook his head with an amused smile, then followed suit and got back under the blankets, situating to let Lukas rest his head on Python's shoulder a little instead.

"Yeah, when Lukas gets like this, it's gonna be a day of relaxing for sure. It's not easy to change his mind, he has to do it himself. If he doesn't he'll just lounge around all day since rain makes it damn near impossible for him to stay fully awake."

Forsyth just shrugged and got back under the blankets as well. "Well, taking a day to just lounge once in a while isn't bad at all. I guess I _did_ need a break like this since I haven't had one in too long to remember, so..."

And with that, they let themselves have a day off, the sounds of the rain on the window and the thunder lulling them back to sleep for a while longer.


	11. Chapter 11 (Explicit)

The rain was pouring hard, with no signs of stopping anytime soon.

Claude and Dimitri had been in bed a majority of the day, taking this time to relax and hold each other close. They’d been idly taking for hours, just staring into each other’s eyes with a smile on their faces.

“Y’know, Dimitri, I’ve been thinkin’.”

“About what?”

“Well…” Claude’s smile went from soft to slightly playful as he moved in to give Dimitri a kiss. “I’ve been a little… _tense_ lately. If ya know what I mean.”

It took a moment for Claude’s words to register in his head, but once they did, Dimitri looked bashfully to the side. He couldn’t resist grinning at how Claude giggled at him for blushing so much.

“I see. Well, I… don’t mind helping ease that.” Dimitri said shyly. “I’ll help you in any way you’d like me to.”

* * *

The air was heavy, filled with the sounds of creaks from the bed and unrestrained lust.

Dimitri cried out, his back arching from the flood of sensation coursing through his whole body in waves. He whined when he felt the hand around his throat squeeze just a little bit tighter. With that snugness that was just enough to have his breathing a bit struggled, but still gave him enough to not grow faint, alongside the rough rhythm of Claude bouncing himself on Dimitri’s cock and the intense vibration of the toy inside him, he was getting close and fast.

“You close? _You close, huh?_” Claude’s voice was gruff as he growled out, his own climax right on the edge.

“Y-yes! Please Claude, pl-please let me-!”

Claude grinned wide, his entire expression almost viciously sadistic as he flicked the switch in his free hand to maximize the vibrations, and moved his hips as quickly as he could. He took in Dimitri’s tear-stained face in a haze, every sob and scream for more like music to his ears.

“You’re so beautiful like this, f-fuck…” Claude groaned and bit his lip, then gathered himself enough to continue. “C’mon, cum for me, don’t hold back, let it all out.”

Dimitri was writhing in his spot now, his whole body trembling as he let out one last cry. Claude’s body had also been trembling, but feeling the warmth that was blocked out by the condom Dimitri had on was what did it. He quickly put the remote to the toy down beside Dimitri’s head and moved his hand downwards, his movements quick and messy as he went over the edge.

“_Fuck!_” He shouted, his head dropping low to get as close to Dimitri’s face as he could. “C-cumming! Take it! Take it all! You’re_ mine_, you hear me?! _All MINE!_”

That sadistic look returned when he got an enthusiastic nod and flurry of “yes, yes, I’m all yours” in response, and rode out his orgasm until he grew limp. The moment he fell weak, he reached up and turned the toy off before he lost the last of his strength. It felt like forever as they lie in their place, struggling to catch their breath and still shaking from the intensity of it all. Once Claude had gathered enough strength to move, he'd gotten up to ready Dimitri for a walk to the bathroom for a much needed shower.

* * *

“Hey, Dimitri.”

He looked up from the dining room table at Claude curiously with a hum.

“I uh… wanted to apologize.”

“Huh?” Dimitri raised a brow as he looked Claude up and down. “Apologize for what? You didn’t do anything wrong.”

He kept his eyes on Claude as he took a seat at the table next to him, waiting patiently for the other to gather his thoughts.

“So I didn’t take it too far at the end there when I got all possessive? All that ‘you’re mine, all mine’ stuff I said with that weird look on my face?”

Ah, so that’s what he was apologizing for. If he were fully honest, seeing that look in Claude’s eyes, so full of possessiveness and an unrestrained love for him, it made Dimitri’s heart pound. It was both slightly scary to see such a beastly side of the one he loved so much, who was usually the calm and collected one among those around him, but it also made Dimitri happier than he could really put into words. Such a devotion to him, and him alone, and knowing it was mutual enough to so freely say such things while not hiding how he felt… it was a dream come true, really.

“I loved it, there’s no need to apologize for that.”

He smiled a bit more when Claude relaxed and give him a smile of his own. He nodded, then the room fell quiet. Not like that was a bad thing of course, peaceful silence spent together was just as enjoyable as any other way they were together.

They have each other, and that’s what matters most to them.


	12. Chapter 12

Felix stared up at his window, his blinks growing longer and longer as he struggled to hold his eyes open. The sounds of the rain and thunder outside were lulling him to sleep. He could no longer hold his eyes open, and they slowly fell closed.

Until a knock on his door startled him awake again.

He pushed down a sudden wave of rage as he felt the rush of adrenaline through him once he was awake again, and he stood to walk over and open the door, expecting to see either his aunt or Sylvain standing there. Who he saw instead brought a look of surprise to his face.

“H-hey, Felix! Is it a bad time?”

“No, not at all, uh…” He looked to the side for a moment before stepping to the side. “Come on in, I’ve got more than enough free time to spare.”

With a nod and gracious thanks, his guest walked into the room and looked around a bit, before following Felix over to the bed and taking off their shoes to have a seat.

“It’s been a bit, huh.”

“Yeah, I really missed you, and wanted to see you again and check up on you…”

Felix’s heart skipped a beat seeing the unrestrained look on that face. Those eyes, so soft and sweet a shade of green. The silvery hair that was tucked behind an ear. The freckles spreading across those cheeks. The bright smile he got when he nodded in agreement.

“I… I guess I missed you too, Ashe.”

Felix almost couldn’t resist the smile that threatened to spread across his own face as he took in Ashe’s expression; sweet and friendly as always, with a noticeable excitement.

“I’m so happy to hear that!” Ashe said cheerfully. “I never once stopped thinking about you these past few months we haven’t seen each other, and once I found out where you live, I came over the very moment I could!”

“I was just about to ask about that actually. How did you find out where my apartment is?”

“I asked Sylvain when I saw him yesterday! You and I don’t live far away from each other at all and I was so happy I could get here so easily!”

Felix sighed and shook his head. That damned Sylvain couldn’t keep his mouth shut, could he? Well, at least he gabbed to someone Felix was fond of this time, he had to give the guy that much.

“Normally I would be pissed that he told someone where I live without my permission, but it was you he told, so I’ll be letting it slide.” Felix said, and stretched a bit before lying back down with his hands behind his head. “I was right on the verge of sleep when you knocked on my door, so if you’d like to do so too, you’re more than welcome.”

“O-oh my goodness, I’m so sorry for waking you up Felix!” Ashe’s expression shifted to one of sadness and slight panic as he looked at Felix. “If you’d like me to leave, please don’t hesitate to tell me-”

“Calm down, I hadn’t fallen asleep yet, I was just _right there_ and about to at any moment. And I _did_ say you could do so too, did I not? Feel free to make yourself comfortable and have a short nap with me, I really don’t mind.”

He was very visibly hesitant, but Ashe finally nodded, and situated with Felix so that the two could comfortably lie down and have an adequate amount of the blankets to nestle under. Ashe wasn’t at all used to this sort of thing from the other, but who was he to complain? He himself was very fond of having someone next to him when he slept, no matter how little they made physical contact. It was a special kind of bonding with someone else that he thoroughly held dear.

“You know… I never thought you to be fond of these sorts of things, Felix.”

“I only am with certain people. The only other person besides you that I’ve ever allowed so freely to sleep in the same bed as me is… Sylvain.”

Ashe nodded in response, and let himself take in Felix’s features for a bit as they lazily conversed. He missed seeing those eyes that were so sharp from his dark times better left unspoken. The stress wrinkles barely visible under the corners of his eyes, now hidden by the dark circles that showed his wear and exhaustion. That serious look that was so welcoming when softened to the state it was in now. Much less of an angry and disdainful scowl, and more a look of being very tired, but still quite content at the same time.

“Ashe?”

“Yes?”

“Is there something on your mind you want to talk to me about? You’ve just been staring at me for a while.”

Well that was awkward. Ashe hadn’t even noticed that he’d dazed out. He shook his head and averted his gaze, trying not to focus on his face heating up as the embarrassed blush spread across it.

“Don’t lie to me, Ashe. I can see right through you.”

One thing Ashe found a blessing and a curse about Felix was definitely this. He always knew right away when something was in Ashe’s mind that wanted to come up to the forefront.

“Well,” Ashe started slowly, but paused as he tried to think further about what he wished to say.

Felix was oddly patient, saying nothing as he waited for the other to continue. It definitely was helpful not being pressured, and it helped Ashe find some way to say what he wanted to.

“It’s hard to describe. When I look at you, and I look into your eyes, I feel… welcomed? Or rather… it draws me in, and has me wanting to stay close to you even more. It isn’t exactly how I wanted to describe this, but I feel it might be good enough. At least for now.”

He watched Felix closely, expecting the usual raised brow and half-lidded look of disinterest, but instead Ashe saw a raised brow and a surprised look once again. Felix only blinked a few times in response at first, trying to process what he had just heard.

“I see.” He finally said. “I’m not sure how to take that, so for now I’ll just say thank you. It was a compliment, right?”

Ashe nodded and smiled, and was delighted to catch the small hints of one tugging at the corners of Felix’s lips too. He opened his mouth to say something else, but was interrupted by a big yawn. He and Ashe both grinned and relaxed, and nestled further into the blankets.

It wasn’t really known where this sudden urge and bit of bravery came from, but Ashe rolled with it as he spoke instead.

“Felix, I know it may be a… very odd and even uncomfortable request, but… may I please lie closer to you?”

“Lie… closer to me?” Felix asked, confusion clear in his voice. “Do you mean like… cuddling?”

Ashe gasped and blushed even deeper at how bluntly Felix had put that. It wasn’t exactly what he aimed for in asking that, but it was what he had gotten the urge for, if he was honest. He didn’t want to say that so forwardly and possibly spook Felix with it coming out of nowhere.

Or worse, disgust him and change his mind on allowing Ashe to sleep by him, which was not something Ashe wanted whatsoever.

His thoughts were cut short when he caught himself dazing out again, and didn’t waste anymore time in nodding yet again to confirm. After that, silence fell over them.

Felix was a bit overwhelmed. He knew Ashe was the kind that fully believed in platonic displays of affection in these ways, but he never thought that out of literally anyone else Ashe could ask, Felix would be the person he chose. Why? Why would Ashe choose someone like him , when there are other people who are way better, and much more affectionate? Felix would call himself a damned liar if he ever denied also thinking that these sorts of things are alright for friends to do if there was enough trust. Hell, after a while he even got comfortable with Sylvain pulling him close and waking up to that warmth against his back in the mornings, arms protectively wrapped around Felix’s middle. When Sylvain really needed that affection on nights he stayed over, Felix didn’t say anything and just let himself be pulled in close. It became a comforting feeling even, despite the fact he didn’t want it to become such.

He wouldn’t lie to himself now either and deny thinking that Ashe would be nice to do this with, too. He was close enough, they had enough of a mutual bond and trust, so why not at least try it?

“Felix? Are you feeling alright?”

Now it was Felix’s turn to shift his gaze elsewhere. He already knew his face was nearly red as a tomato now, and dreaded how that made his flustered reaction even more evident. Poor Ashe had no clue what to take of this situation, Felix could tell by seeing just how worried he looked. He feels he did something wrong. Felix knew that look in his eyes all too well.

With a small sigh, Felix decided to just cut to the chase and not keep the other waiting for his response anymore. With a small tug, he already had Ashe close, and loosely wrapped his arms around him. He almost laughed at the squeak that left the other as he was brought in, but that soon changed into taking in a shaky breath as Ashe made himself comfortable by pressing them together even closer before hugging Felix tight.

“I’ll take this as a ‘yes’ then.”

They both smiled at each other.

“Yeah.” Felix said, much more calm now that he’s begun to get used to this feeling. “I don’t mean to ruin the mood, but I feel like there’s more you have that you want to tell me, but I’ll let you come to me when it’s time. For now it’s time for a nap in this warmth since my room’s a fucking fridge.”

Ashe giggled and closed his eyes. He fell asleep much faster than expected, and Felix watched him as long as possible before his eyes slowly closed once again.

The storm outside had yet to let up, and didn’t seem like it would anytime soon. Ashe and Felix were both thankful, all the more reason to relax the time away.


	13. Chapter 13

The rain hadn't let up today either, and it helped show just how tired it made Felix.

In bed he stayed as often as he could, no matter how awake he was at the time. He spent his time covered up, relaxing it away. It helped ease his mind a bit doing this, and just letting himself get lost in his thoughts like this. He usually kept everything pushed down like he always had before, but on days like this, it felt therapeutic to just daydream the day away. It was one of the smaller things he'd started to do as a means of much needed self-care, and it had shown to be a very good thing for him.

Though today, he had stayed groggy and tired.

Sylvain grinned down at him as he snuggled up a bit closer, and going on and on about various things on his mind. Though to be fair, if Felix wasn't half asleep right now and likely unaware of what he was doing, he wouldn't even be doing this. Sure, he'd allowed himself to be pulled in when Sylvain needed it and was the one to ask for it, but having Felix be the one to initiate it this time was definitely a good feeling, even if he didn't really realize what he was doing.

"Hey... Sylvain?"

"Yeah? What's on your mind?"

"Y'know how... when we were little 'n... we uh... went on 'n on 'bout stayin' t'gether forever 'n stuff?"

"Yeah, I remember."

"Well..." Felix had paused for a few moments, and Sylvain had assumed he'd fallen asleep fully before he sucked in a small breath and continued. "When're we gonna just like... get married already?"

Sylvain froze, but recovered quickly and just smiled down at Felix more gently with a chuckle.

"It's little early to be talking about marriage, don't you think? We've gotta be dating for a while before that, y'know."

"...Yeah, true."

"But honestly... I... I wouldn't mind it."

He watched Felix for any response, but he'd no longer been sleepily smiling or talking. Just silence aside from the storm outside and Felix's deep breathing as he slept fully.

"...You didn't actually hear a word of any of this, did you."

Sylvain just chuckled again and shook his head with that smile that had never once left his face. He let himself close his eyes for a while, holding Felix close as they slept.

He didn't mind that Felix wasn't awake enough to be able to remember this when they both got up later. For now, just having Felix there was enough. He could hold out on letting his true feelings be known as long as he needed to if he could keep having fun and be happy with the one he held closest.

His best friend, and the one he loved so dearly.


	14. Chapter 14

Claude couldn’t deny how bored he was today if he tried.

Normally, he’s mostly easily adaptive to getting out all the time and seeing a bunch of different people, and able to have fun and enjoy it while it happens, though ultimately he’d rather just be at home with Dimitri, or with Lukas and Python at the very most most of the time. Today was one of those days where not going out and saying hi to a friend was driving him insane, and he couldn’t focus on anything he tried to do to occupy himself because he needed the outside input so badly. Dimitri wasn’t feeling well today, so going out with him wasn’t in the picture, and it made Claude even more restless.

But luckily, his phone vibrated and cut his festering agony over his pent up energy short.

‘Hey uh… Do you have anything planned today? I have something important I need to ask you about, but it’s too embarrassing for me to do it in any other way except you coming with my aunt and I to the store if you can.’

Felix would definitely satisfy his needs right now, that’s for sure. And him needing Claude for something he deemed important made Claude shift into focus already since he wanted to help however he could.

‘I’ve got so much of nothing to do today that I’ve been in near physical pain because of it all day, so I’d be more than happy to come to the store with you. Dimitri’s not feeling well enough to go anywhere today, so would your aunt be able to come by and pick me up?’

The reply was quick, and Claude was happy about that.

‘Yeah, we can do that, no problem. I already asked her ahead of time just in case, and she’s going to that Wal-Mart that she takes your street to get to, so she’d be down that way anyway. I assume you’re already dressed for the day and such considering how much earlier you wake up than me these days, so we’ll be there pretty soon.’

‘Yup, I’m all ready when you guys are, so I’ll be all good when you guys get here. See you soon, bud.’

Claude grinned and sighed loudly. This relief from finally being able to go out and get some outside input felt almost euphoric. He couldn’t remember the last time this sort of thing had gotten him so shaken up outside of the Officers Academy. He grabbed his coat and boots out of his closet to pull them on quickly, and trotted out of his separate bedroom and to his and Dimitri’s shared bedroom next to it. He peeked in to see Dimitri sitting up in bed, watching TV and munching on a small bowl of chips he had gotten for himself absentmindedly.

“Hey Dimi, I’m about to head out with Felix for a bit, ‘kay? Do you need anything while I’m here?”

Dimitri looked up at Claude and shook his head with a smile. “Oh, no, I’ll be fine. I’m not too sickly to get up and do things on my own, it’s just a bit too annoying to go out to all sorts of places today is all. Have fun, dearest.”

Claude made his way in to give Dimitri a quick kiss and hug, then went back out to go outside and wait. He had taken a seat on the lowest step of his porch, and was barely there for more than three minutes before he saw the older blue car Felix’s aunt drove slow down in front. He stood up with a small bounce in his steps and jogged over to the back door on the passenger side, and got inside with a chipper greeting to Felix and his aunt. Once he got his seatbelt buckled, the car started moving once again and off they went.

* * *

“So what’d you need to talk about, Fe?”

“Well…” Felix was visibly hesitant, his voice a bit soft as he looked around. “I’ll just show you where the stuff is first. That might help me get it out better.”

Claude nodded and followed the other with no questions asked. He didn’t need to wonder long though as they walked into the section of women’s clothes with bras and other things. His questions were already answered when they stopped in front of a small aisle with boxes of adhesive bras and other assorted adhesive breast forms.

“I was hoping you knew anything about any of this stuff, since I wanted some.”

“Ohhhhh, I see now. Yeah, I know a little bit, but compared to other stuff my range of knowledge is a little short with adhesive stuff and breast forms since I’ve never used anything like this before personally. I’ll do my best though.”

That was more than enough for Felix, judging by how his eyes lit up a tad. Claude really wracked his brain as he looked through everything the store had and answered all the questions Felix had for him, and so far he felt he was doing a pretty good job. He knew what he did from helping out assorted other friends who came to him for help when no one else could do so, and he always managed to get them the answers they needed. Being so persnickety about his bras and looking into everything he could think of about this sort of thing in general was working in his favor, and it really showed in moments like these. He was pretty proud of it if he were to be honest

“Alright, ummm.... With all that stuff being told about, and what I’ve gathered from you, I think thaaaaaat…  _ these _ would be your best bet.”

Claude grabbed a box from the ones they’d been focused on so far, a pair of smaller breast forms, and handed it to Felix to hold on to. With a little more digging around, they managed to find some body adhesive nearby. It surprised both of them finding it, and Felix just assumed that they’d recently started selling it since none could be found last time he looked. They walked around a bit with the box and the adhesive as they looked for Felix’s aunt, and Felix listened intently as Claude gave him a bit more information about them and told him how to put them on properly. Felix didn’t noticed they’d been near his aunt until Claude stopped him, and the two walked up to the cart.

“Did you find anything?”

“Yeah,” Felix said, and showed her the box. “Claude helped me find these, and we found some adhesive stuff too for when the stuff already on them stops sticking. It’s $14.99 altogether.”

His aunt raised her eyebrows a bit and nodded, and took the box and adhesive to find somewhere to put them in the cart.

“Alrighty,” she said, “go pick out a pop and a candy bar or somethin’ for yourselves, and then we’ll be all done.”

Felix and Claude wasted no time thanking her and walking over to the small freezers with assorted sodas and other bottled drinks near the registers.

“I’m feelin’ it to be a Bepis day, my friend.” Claude opened the door of the freezer he looked into, and grabbed a Pepsi from it. “So what’cha gonna get, Fe?”

Felix shrugged as he looked through them all. He hid it from everyone else, but lately thanks to Ashe’s love of baking, and Lysithea’s constant pestering of him to try things when he was around her, he’d begun to really enjoy sweets. But he wasn’t going to tell anyone that, so he just showed it in the form of saying that he didn’t mind soda to substitute sweet things for him. Even when he didn’t like sweets he still enjoyed drinking it once in a while, so it wasn’t like he was really lying by saying that.

He looked in the last freezer with soda in it and quickly opened it, and reached in to grab a cherry limeade Sunkist bottle. He grinned at it and hugged it close before he nodded to Claude.

“I haven’t seen these here in I dunno how fuckin’ long… These are _so_ fuckin’ good, dude…”

Claude looked Felix up and down before he made to put the Pepsi back, and went over to grab a Sunkist of his own.

“What are you doing? I thought you wanted Pepsi?”

“I do,” Claude replied, “but seeing how you got seeing this got me too curious, and I wanna try it.”

Felix just shrugged again, and after Claude grabbed a small chocolate bar for himself, the two went down a few registers to stand in line and wait with Felix’s aunt.

* * *

“Bye Felix, thanks for inviting me to join you!”

“See you later, Claude. Thank you again for the help.”

Claude grinned wide and waved one more time before happily jogging up the porch and into his house. Felix’s aunt drove off once the doors closed. Felix looked around out the window during the whole ride home, just thinking about various things and letting himself take in the happiness he felt.

He knew learning of everything he wanted to know wouldn’t be easy coming into it all completely blind, but he felt he was doing alright despite that. Being nonbinary wasn’t nearly as stressful in everyday life as Felix thought it would be, considering all of the things he wanted to do to express himself and help ease any extra stresses that may arise from specific things, but what little money his household had to spare for it. Claude was always the first person he thought of in cases like this, especially once he got word from Hilda and Dorothea that he was the perfect one to go to for anything like this since he’d helped them so much, and it held true with ease. 

Claude was the one who helped him come out to everyone by telling them in his place when he asked, since an appointment he’d forgotten about came up and he missed the usual meeting with the others they planned out, so of course he completely trusted Claude with things like this. He was the only other one in their group that Felix had anything to do with that wasn’t cis, so he was the one Felix would go to when he could as is.

His train of thought was interrupted when the car came to a stop in front of their apartment, and he unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of the car with his bag in hand to hurry inside after his aunt gave him the key to unlock the front door. He was excited to try these on.

He called all of his cats into his room before he shut the door, and put the bag on the bed before going to his closet to open it and look around. He took down a few bras here and there to look at them, and finally chose a black and red one that he had been wanting to wear for a while. He never really did since it didn’t really show too much of a difference in his chest size despite the padding, and it wasn’t a good choice when such a thing was getting to him. He put the garment on the bed and closed the closet door, and ran everything Claude had told him in his head repeatedly as he opened the box with the breast forms and went to put them in the bra and put it on himself. He refused to look in the mirror more than what he had to to ensure he was doing everything correctly, since he wanted to wait and see what it all looked like once he was finished. He only grew more excited when he got everything put on properly and pulled his shirt back on.

“Okay… let’s see this.” He whispered to himself as he took a few sidesteps to stand in front of the mirror, his eyes closed as he prepared himself.

He took a deep breath, and opened them. A big smile spread across his face as he took the sight in. He turned here and there, seeing how well the forms fit him and filled out his chest. He grinned down at his chest for a moment before he opened the door again, and headed to the kitchen.

“Hey auntie, Claude was the perfect one to go to for this. Look at this.”

She turned to look, and smiled herself as Felix turned here and there.

“Oh, woah! That looks good! Is it comfortable for you?”

Felix just nodded and kept grinning. He was too happy right now to really be able to speak much without putting thought into it.

“These are gonna save my ass when I have those days that really fuck with me when I look at myself in the mirror.” Felix finally said. “Dysphoria isn’t a thing I feel often at all, but when I do, it fucking sucks _so bad_… Luckily Claude saved the day and helped me find these, though.”

And with that, Felix walked out of the kitchen to sit at the dining room table until dinner. His aunt watched him closely, taking in just how much more at peace Felix was this whole time. It made her really happy seeing Felix so openly positive, since it wasn’t a thing she got to see often at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried to make this chapter vague but not too vague, since I myself don't know much about breast forms and I haven't had much experience with them, and looked up some things to keep in mind to make this easier to write. The idea stuck with me too much to keep it in my head to fade away so I wrote it. This fic has long shown to aim to be a very LGBTQ+ positive one as is so it fits here just fine.


	15. Chapter 15

There was one thing that Python couldn't quite stop thinking about, even after all these years have passed since he met Lukas and the others in the group of mercenaries he fought for.

Just how different he'd become as time went on.

It was odd. He'd gotten soft by his own standards, but he wasn't actually concerned about it at all. If anything, he was slowly becoming more thankful of it. With this learned patience and softness of his in more serious situations, he'd found things to go much smoother in life, and let him have more chances to let himself relax. Not having the extra load on him from being too flippant in a serious situation and being approached for it afterwards really helps, and he can finally see that now. So he's decided that he'd like to see where this goes.

It took him back to some of the more noticeable times it had shown itself.

Like when Lukas had long ago revealed his relationship with that woman, but never feeling anything for it enough to ever really be bothered if he never saw her again. And when he'd come to Python and revealed his wishes to try and experiment with the demigay identity, and his newly discovered attraction to men, that had happened about a week or so ago. That one really stuck out to Python. He'd never acted so gentle on instinct like that before, and thinking about it now brought a little shock to him.

How far should he let this go? Should he extend this to his own self too? Those were the questions he asked himself.

But for now, he'd just roll with it, and see where the path leads.


	16. Chapter 16

“Python, truth or dare?”

“Truth, I ain’t a coward who’ll hide myself.”

Claude grinned wide, his eyes narrowing as he stared Python down. He and Lukas decided to join Claude and Dimitri in a hangout with Dedue, Raphael, and Sylvain today, and with much enthusiastic reactions to the idea from Claude and Sylvain, they’d all been playing Truth or Dare for a while.

“Alright then,” Claude said, “there’s something that’s been on my mind and getting me curious lately. Is it true that you’re bi as it can get?”

Python just looked at him and nodded, his entire demeanor casual as he just shrugged it off.

“Yup. Love me some guys. They’re ‘really neat,’ as Lukas says-”

“Don’t bring me into this, please.” Lukas said and looked to the side with a frown.

Claude just grinned wider and nodded in response. It was now Python’s turn, and he looked between everyone as he thought about whom he wanted to pick and why. He rarely thought deeply about things, but he sure did love using his hidden brain power when it came to anything that could score him some gossiping material. Something had been on his mind too, so he decided that he’d get the answers he seeked right now.

“Lukas, truth or dare?”

“Hmmm. I guess I’ll also pick truth.”

“Is it true… that you’ve been hanging out with Claude alone more often lately to go guy watching~?”

Lukas’s eyes grew wide as saucers. It took a moment for him to process the question, but when he did he only looked down at his hands in his lap and nodded shyly.

“Awww, that’s actually really cute!” Sylvain chuckled. “What better way to get in some exploring of yourself than with the help of a friend, am I right?”

“I swear to god Sylvain, if you’re hinting at what I think you’re hinting at-”

“No, no I’m not going there this time, don’t worry Claude!” Sylvain put his hands up in defense. “I legit mean it. Goin’ through this sort of thing alone when you have no clue where to even begin can be kinda scary, especially if it’s completely new to you and you just jump into it to see where it goes. Having that support from a person you trust makes the ride a little easier to handle the bumpy parts of, y’know?”

Claude just silently looked Sylvain up and down for a moment with an eyebrow raised.

“You make a good point. You really should dial down that horny and use your brain more often, and quit staying in denial of the fact you’re only himbo-passing.”

“Holy fuck Claude, what’d I do to deserve such sass from you? That’s a jab right at my thick ol’ heart...”

“That’s called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, Sylvain. You might wanna get that checked out.”

Lukas, Python, Dedue, and Raphael all looked over at Dimitri, and noticed him smiling with a hand up to his mouth as he tried his hardest not to laugh.

“N-no, Claude, I meant that… never mind. You’re still in protecc mode so you’re not really getting metaphors right now.”

“Alright, it’s my turn now, correct?” Lukas finally cut in, and the room fell quiet again. He looked between everyone for a moment before he pointed at Dedue. “Truth or dare, Dedue?”

“I suppose I will take a dare.”

Lukas smiled now. That was exactly the choice he hoped for.

“I dare you to share every single desert recipe you have with me as soon as possible. I heard your skills in the kitchen are unmatched.”

Dedue let out a small laugh. “Of course, I would be delighted to share some recipes with you.”

“So… I guess that’s the end of the game, then?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was another random impulse thought chapter. I don't see wise Sylvain and protective Claude like this enough, so I did the honors myself.


	17. Chapter 17

The day had started out just fine, but that quickly changed.

Dimitri and Claude sat at the dining room table, staring at the letters in each other's hands in complete silence.

"How... how on earth did they...?"

"I dunno. But I'm not happy about it one bit."

These letters were from no companies, no announcements, nothing of the sort. They were hand-written. Hand-written by people they had hoped they'd finally escaped from. People they knew from birth, and people that came into their lives as they grew up.

People who knew of their statuses.

"I don't understand this, not one bit!" Dimitri said, growing increasingly upset as he now looked at Claude's letter and read it too. "How the hell did they find us? I thought we had finally become free of them! I don't want to go back! I don't want to have to carry the burdens of claiming that crown when I don't have to-"

"It'll be okay, Dimitri, we're not going to be responding to these." Claude replied softly. "We're just gonna hold on to them, just in case, then go on about our lives. We're not required to do any of the things they want of us in these letters, and we're not going to be, regardless of if you wanted to or not. I've got many a plan up my sleeve already, just trust me on this and try to just ignore these as much as possible until further notice, okay?"

He was hesitant, but Dimitri nodded, and handed Claude his letter to take. Claude folded them both back up, put them back in their envelopes, and stood to go put them away. The walk to his personal bedroom felt longer than usual as his mind began to wander.

_'Why all of a sudden do they want us back in our families to be taking on royal duties, **especially** mine?'_ He thought to himself with a scowl. _'And **why** did we both get letters at the same time? They didn't think this through did they, I bet they thought I would lose my touch after all this time and not be as suspicious of this fuckery and overly prepared as ever.'_

He hadn't noticed that he'd already arrived inside and was putting the letters in a drawer for a moment, until he snapped out of the daze he'd begun to fall into. This was already making him angry, and he was trying his hardest to not let that overtake him.

One thing he hates the most is losing control, after all.

* * *

Claude and Dimitri walked into the park, having planned a hangout with Lukas, Python, Sylvain, and Felix today. Claude saw the other four already waiting for them nearby, and he grabbed Dimitri's hand a bit tighter as they made their way over. They looked over to see the pair walking towards them.

"'Ey Claude 'n 'Mitri, what's up-"

Sylvain paused once he saw the looks on their faces, and immediately noticed that they weren't as happy as usual.

"What's wrong, guys?"

They only shook their heads. Sylvain decided not to push it any further.

"What's wrong?" Lukas asked instead, his tone a slight bit stern.

Claude and Dimitri almost wanted to shrink down away from that intense look Lukas and Felix both gave them as they awaited a response. Claude and Dimitri knew that they wouldn't be able to avoid this forever, and looked at each other before Claude spoke.

"Dimitri and I got some very... distressing letters in the mail today. Ones from people we thought we'd finally escaped from."

"Woah woah woah, what the hell's that supposed to mean?" Python furrowed his brows in confusion as he looked them both up and down.

"We... We both have received letters from our families. About pressuring us into returning to reclaim our statuses for the 'family's honor' as they so ridiculously put it."

Silence fell over them after that. Claude and Dimitri looked between everyone in the group nervously as they waited for further reactions. They'd never once told of their statuses to Lukas or Python, but they already knew Felix and Sylvain had always known. Felix and Sylvain grew up with Dimitri and also attended the Officers Academy, after all.

"...You too, huh?"

That got the group to shift their attention over to Felix, who had put his head down as he looked angrily to the side. "My stupid letter came like late last year though. They really thought they could try and tempt me to come claim the title of Duke Fraldarius and all that shit. I would've happily taken all the shit they promised and then left the title to rot if I could, though. It'd make my family's living so much safer and healthier if I could cheat it. But I didn't take it. It was either I claim the title and leave the only parts of my family still around that care about me and accept me for who I am, or stay with them and throw the extras away. You all already know which I chose. My aunt's the one who read it first anyway, so she had no problems with ripping it up beyond recognition and throwing it straight in the trash before telling me about it, since the whole thing affects her personally too. "

"Felix... I had no idea..."

"It's okay, Dimitri. I never told about the one I got, either." Sylvain added. "The Margrave of Gautier... all that stupid bullshit about bringing up those old myths and legends about that _fucking_ thing that had my brother trying his damnedest to leave me to rot at all opportunities since my birth, before he finally kicked the bucket... All of that shit is just a _fucking pathetic excuse_ for control and corruption in a family line."

"Your families are trying to tempt you all to return to the ties of noble roles? Is this what's going on?"

They all just nodded.

"I may not have received anything in the form of letters quite yet, but do know I understand how all of you feel."

"You do?" Claude looked back up to Lukas curiously.

"Indeed." He said as he shuffled a bit in place. "If the way I speak alone was not already any indication of it, I did not come from a common home. My father was the scholar in a very large estate, and due to said circumstances that he had been born into and lived in, I too am of noble status, albeit I'm only middle class. He did not want me to do what I've always wanted to do, and enforced combat as... _spiritedly_... as he could. The moment they could do it, he and my older brother forced me into a role of combat right after I had finished school. I became a mercenary and followed among the group that Python and I met within to get them off of my back. They just wanted me to continue the line of 'warriors' so to say, so I did what I could do to escape being enlisted in the military."

This was so much to process for all of them. Why was all of this happening so suddenly? Why after so long of leaving them be, their families decide _now_ of all times was good to try and insert themselves back into their lives? Of course none of them would ever dream of going back to their estates' responsibilities, but it did bring more than enough questions for suspicions to only keep rising among them of what their families may or may not have had planned. Overwhelming was an understatement for what this was.

"I think we should all try and derail for a bit. Let's find somewhere to just have a seat and chill out for a while, alright? That's what we all planned to do already, wasn't it?"

Everyone else just nodded at Claude and followed his lead, relieved that the tension was slowly starting to be dissipated as that smile showed itself once again.

* * *

It was cold under the tree they sat under due to the shade, but the wind didn't come in contact with them as much under it, so they complained very little. Well, Felix did on occasion as he shivered.

"God, it's _so fucking cold!_" He grumbled, and put down his clipboard with his paper on it to try and adjust his coat again to cover up the certain parts of his neck that were exposed, to prevent any more air touching his skin. He pulled at the strings at the base of his hood, and only sighed in defeat and left them alone when he was unsuccessful in getting them to go any tighter. He may have been wearing his warmest and heaviest coat, but it was a slight bit big on him, and exposed just enough skin on his neck near his shoulders to get him freezing if the wind blew on it a certain way.

"I can give you my coat if ya want, Felix?" Sylvain was already shrugging the garment off of his shoulders as he spoke. "To just drape around your shoulders and give that extra bit of coverage, y'know?"

"No, I don't want it. It's too cold for you not to have it on anyway."

"But Fe, you already know that hoes of his caliber don't get cold."

"Hey!" Sylvain shot a look at Claude, and tried not to slump when he heard the faintest sound of Felix holding in a small snicker. "I get cold like everybody else! I-I just give off more body heat than other people so I stay warmer is all!"

"Uh huh. Whatever ya gotta try and tell yourself, my dude."

"Oi, you were the one not even three days ago telling me I was 'only himbo-passing', so don't turn the tables and change your mind now!"

"I never said you weren't a horny bastard, I said that you should use your brain more often and not focus on your horniness to deny the fact you're only himbo-passing. _Don't turn the tables and change your mind now._"

"Ohhhhh the _SASS_ from you these past few days is hitting my _SOUL_, Claude!"

Sylvain sighed dramatically and draped his coat over Felix's shoulders before lying down on the ground with a small thud as he spread his arms out. Dimitri was giggling as he saw Claude now grinning widely down at his phone, not once looking up from it at Sylvain as that happened. By now Felix was back to drawing, and didn't contain his own amused grin as he took this all in. Python was snickering too, and Lukas just rolled his eyes and shook his head with a small sigh.

The day may not have gone well for a while, but from then on, it was a little easier.


	18. Chapter 18

_"You'd better keep an eye out, it doesn't look like this is just some simple request to get you guys on thrones."_

"I know that. They've always thought I was far more clueless and careless than I am, even though they'll turn right around and call me sly and sneaky, and warn others of my abilities. They're all _hypocritical **snakes**_ that should be _punished_, that's what they are."

Claude refused to be distracted by the pained look on the face of who he spoke to, the two of them sitting alone among the vast expanse of pure blackness all around them. Nothing around them but the silence of the void, and the stillness of it aside from their distantly reverberating voices when they spoke.

_"I don't think they should be **punished** per se, but-"_

"_Bullshit._" Claude interrupted, and looked at them with an angry frown. "They're disgusting, treated me like shit, they've done nothing but be one of the main causes of the pains that have turned me into what I am today! Why do you defend them when they treated you even _worse_ back then?!"

He didn't get any answer to that, and it only made him angrier.

"_Answer me! Why_ do you defend them?! Is it because they took on the physical form of two people you wished were your parents instead back then?! They aren't the ones you knew anymore! They aren't... They aren't the _true_ Judith and Nader!"

_"Stop."_ The statement was blunt and pained. _"Please, just... stop it..."_

"**_No!_ **I want answers, and you're supposed to give them! _Why_ do you want me to let them off scott free, huh?! They aren't Judith and Nader in this life, they're those **_pigs_**, they just stole Judith and Nader's appearances! I want _revenge!_ I want-"

** _"STOP!"_ **

With a glare, Claude finally went quiet. The two stared each other down for what felt like forever, tears pricking their eyes as they observed each other's every feature.

_"P-please, just listen to me... What if... what if they aren't reborn? What if you killing them makes them die forever...?"_

"I never once said I would kill them. But I sure do want to kill that woman, though. If I _had_ to do it though, Nader, he... he could live. If he weren't the other half to that ugly, bitter, and tainted whole. I refuse to do it though, at least for now, since Nader himself is only due for punishment by allowing himself to be frightened into following in her footsteps. He's done too many good things for me to truly be angry at him for much more than that..."

Claude looked down, the tears in his eyes threatening to fall now.

"I can _never_ forgive him for just blindly following her orders like a dog throughout my life and not apologizing to me for what he let her do to me as punishments for misbehaving, but I can't find it in myself to hate him, no matter how much rage I feel inside of me, and how much I wanna hurt him. If it weren't for him standing up that one time when I was little and fighting her over that one key thing, and risking their marriage because of how bad it got, I..."

The one next to Claude watched him silently, the pain in him shifting to another source as Claude's voice only became more shaky and soft.

"...I'd probably still be forced to act like the girl I never was."

_"Claude..."_

"He did so much for me when he stood up to her for once, and fought her over me and my wishes for longer than I can remember, and thanks to that, I could bloom and flourish as the man I am now. Without him doing that for me, I have no clue what I would even be like right now. Would I even be here? I haven't a clue."

They fell quiet again after that, and Claude didn't even try to hold in his tears as the memories came flooding back into his mind. With all he wants to get revenge for, he didn't think he'd have it in himself to kill his father. Even if he wanted to, he knew he wouldn't be able to go through with it. There were too many things complicating this for him, too many things he wanted to scream at Nader for and hit him everywhere it hurts the most, but so many he wanted to hug him and thank him for, too.

This life was never simple, was it? It was a blessing and a curse, and in this case, the curse was more than unpleasant.

_"I think I can finally begin to understand the surface of the issues now."_

Claude looked back up again, watching them closely as they spoke.

_"I let my own unresolved pains get in the way just then, and I apologize for that. It's not an easy concept for me to grasp, but you aren't anywhere near a simple man compared to myself. You have key elements within you that make you so much more different and complex than me. You have so many things you shoulder for others too, only adding onto that load further. I trust you to make the right decisions, and if they do need that punishment to get the revenge you seek after all, I won't try to stop you anymore. Unless of course you stray from your path and choose the bad courses of action."_

"Which is exactly what I asked of you, is it not? To guide me when I stray, and answer questions I have? I also apologize for lashing out. Y'know, you and I may butt heads all the time, but we balance each other out perfectly. In a really weird and unexplainable way."

They let out a chuckle and nodded, a grin spreading across their face. Claude returned it, and gave them a wink. He then looked around with a hum.

_"What's up?"_

"I dunno. I think I need something."

_"Need something?"_

"Yeah," he replied, "like, I dunno if I'm hungry, or thirsty, or need to go to the bathroom, or... whatever it is. I just know something's off. I'm gonna go ahead and go, so I can see what it is."

He stood and stretched, and looked to them with one more smile.

"See ya next time."

_"See ya later. And remember that I'll be right here when you have any questions, and want my help."_

* * *

"Claude! Claude, wake up! _CLAUDE!!_"

Dimitri shook him back and forth quickly, his shouts growing more frantic the longer he received no response from the other. He could barely breathe now, the panic rising up and closing off his throat as he continued to shout Claude's name. Claude was still breathing and alive, so _why_ wasn't he waking up?! _Why_ was he lying face-down on the floor when Dimitri came in here?!

"Claude, _please! Please_ wake up! _What's wrong, Claude?!_"

It took a few seconds, but finally those eyes opened, and a look of pure worry spread across his face as he saw just how worked up Dimitri had become.

"_CLAUDE, ARE YOU ALRIGHT?!_"

"Hey, hey, what's wrong?" he lifted a hand to gently cup Dimitri's face, and used his thumb to wipe away the tears that rolled down his cheek. "What's got you so worked up, Dimi? What can I do to help?"

He was only pulled close to Dimitri's chest, the hold tight as he trembled and hugged Claude. He quietly sobbed, the shock of the situation all too much for him to handle. Claude hugged him back just as tight, whispering sweet nothings as he tried to soothe the other and help him calm enough to explain what was happening. Apparently assurances that he was alright, and showing he could move around just fine were helping, because before long he had gotten Dimitri calmed enough to have completely stopped crying.

"Are you better now, Dimi? What's going on?"

"Why were you collapsed on the floor? Why weren't you waking up when I called out to you? I-I was shaking you and shouting at you and everything!"

It took a moment to register, but once it did, Claude smiled up at him.

"It's alright, it wasn't anything bad, I was just meditating again and must've lost my balance and fell on my face without realizing it. I got really deep into it this time."

The relief that washed over Dimitri was painfully obvious in every regard. He completely relaxed, his hold suddenly loose, and the loud breath he let out was heavy.

"Oh_ thank the goddess_ it was only that..." He closed his eyes and pressed his forehead against Claude's. "I can't imagine what would have happened if it was anything more serious..."

He let himself smile when Claude moved in to give him a kiss, the pace slow as they established a gentle rhythm of small pecks. What came in and flooded Dimitri's senses wasn't the post-freakout dread and regret that he was used to, but total bliss. Euphoria as he was assured. It was all okay. It was all okay, and he knew it. He knew it and relished in the sensations it brought that warmed his being and made his senses tingle pleasantly.

"I'm alright, don't worry. I'm always going to be here with you, and I'll always love you."

"...I know. And I will always be by your side too, and will love you forever and beyond."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So if it isn't all coming together, Claude's parents are Judith and Nader in this AU, but they aren't at all who they once were. If you all catch my drift.


	19. Chapter 19

It was one of those days where Claude knew something was off from the very start. Something was happening, but he didn't know what, and it was driving him insane.

Only when his phone beeped from the notification sound of receiving a text did he find out what was going on.

'Claude, I need to see you and soon, can my aunt bring me over there real quick?'

'Yeah, of course! Is everything OK?'

'Not at all. I'm in a really bad place.'

"Oh shit... What's going on?" Claude mumbled worriedly to himself as he typed out his response.

'If you want to, go ahead and pack some extra clothes and other stuff so you can stay with me for a day or two if you want to get out of your apartment for a while.'

'Thank you so much...'

Claude hurried out of his bedroom to head into the main room and wait at the front door. He didn't need to wait long, and he quickly walked out of the door to meet Felix halfway when he got out of his aunt's car, and led him inside.

"Make yourself comfy, Fe, I'm gonna get you a blanket and a pillow real quick. Want me to get you something to eat or drink while I'm doing that?"

"N-no, you're doing more than enough as is. Thank you, though."

With a nod, Claude made his way out of the room to grab his pillow and blanket off of his bed, and hurried back to get everything situated for Felix to lie down on the sofa. He left again to grab a chair from the dining room table to set by the sofa and make himself comfortable while the two spoke.

"So what's going on?"

"That's one of the main things that's got me even worse, I don't even know why I feel the way I do." Felix paused for a moment to take a few deep breaths, fighting back the urge to cry as much as he could. "I'm in one of my super low points of depression again, and I feel so fucking worthless... I can't help but think back to how I used to be, and then have to fight to not hate myself even more for becoming so useless..."

Felix hadn't even noticed that he'd begun to cry until he fell silent, a choked sob escaping him as he snuggled up into the blanket.

"Oh, Felix..." Claude said, his tone gentle as he reached down to move some of Felix's hair out of his eyes. "I'm so sorry you're not doing well... And I know it may not help you feel better by hearing this, since it's a repeated phrase to the level of a broken record at this point by people, but you aren't useless. Sure, your experiences and your circumstances overall have changed you in ways that made you unable to do the things you did before, but you've found new things to do and give to the world. You're still fighting the world's cruel societal norms, and that's pretty badass I'd say."

Claude almost got worried because of how long Felix stayed quiet for, but eventually the other had opened his eyes to look at Claude intensely, trying to look for anything he could find to help him process what was said.

"You can't fully mean that, can you? I can't cook, I can't clean, I can't even figure out how to fucking hold a broom anymore for fuck's sake... I can barely eat because more and more foods make me nauseous as time goes on, I'm always tired to the point of being easily comparable to Linhardt... I'm at least a _little_ bit of a waste of resources, am I not?"

"Nope, not at all. Felix, you had a fit of seizures that shocked your system a year or so ago, of course things would be more difficult after that. Not to mention you literally have a set of disabilities that are slowly making your brain deteriorate. Keeping these things in mind, it only further proves that you aren't as worthless as you think. Think about it, you may have a really hard time focusing on anything now, but you're still out here drawing for multiple comic series and writing multiple chapters for super long stories in one sitting! You're more sensitive to sound, but still manage to make multiple VOCALOID and UTAU covers at once that I WISH I could do! You're rockin' it out here!"

Claude smiled brightly when Felix let out a small giggle and snuggled up into the blanket again, a shy blush spreading across his cheeks.

"...I guess you might be a little right."

"Yup! I sure am! Now remember what we both say: if you lose your original purpose in life, find a new one. You've done that a long time ago, and make the very best out of the limits you have that grow in time. You're still the super strong guy I met at the Officers Academy all those years ago, and I know you'll always continue to be."

Felix already felt much better, he wouldn't deny that one bit. He did sort of regret not coming to Claude as soon as he started feeling off all those times before, though. He felt less alone, and more like he actually deserved friends and support like everyone else. He almost giggled again as Claude let out a small squeak of surprise when Felix sat up to pull him into a hug, and nestled into the crook of his neck when Claude returned the gesture tightly.

"Yeah, you definitely weren't feeling good, you initiated the hug this time."

"I will affectionately crush your spine as a sign of my friendship. It's what bros do."

He jumped a slight bit in surprise when Claude snorted loudly, laughing hard at that unexpected statement.

"_WHAT_ did you just say?"

"What, do you not want me to affectionately crush your spine? I'll affectionately crush something else if you prefer."

"N-no, I... y'know what? Fuck it, keep on hugging me to affectionately crush my spine, bro."

"Will do."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Felix has a lot of backstory behind this sort of thing, but I won't get into all that right away. It's to be revealed later in time.


	20. Chapter 20

It was quiet today. Almost too quiet for Python’s tastes. It rarely ever was quiet like this and slightly unnerving for Python, since he’d long ago begun to really enjoy silence after he and Lukas started living together.

Something was going to happen, Python felt it. He didn’t know what it would be, but he knew it would be happening.

Though despite this, his eyes had begun to slowly flutter closed-

“GODS _FUCKING_ **_DAMMIT!_**”

“HwooAGH FUCK!” Python almost fell off of the sofa from flailing about so much. The booming yells of anger that echoed throughout the house had startled him back awake and into alertness as his eyes darted all around.

A loud groan of annoyance came after, located in the kitchen.

“Dude, what the fuck’s goin’ on in there?!”

A long, drawn out silence, then a small sniffle.

“...I dropped the last cupcake on the floor and it landed right on the frosting…”

Python was almost surprised at how small Lukas’s voice had become now. He was on the verge of tears, and it was evident by how his voice had trembled a little bit.

"Christ Almighty... You don't need to cry over it though, Lukas..."

"I cannot control the tears, Python."

Python only let out a sigh, and stood to head to the kitchen and peek his head inside. He look in to see Lukas had already gotten everything all cleaned up, but the expression he of complete defeat he had kind of made Python a little sad to see.

"Jeez, dude, that batch must've been better than the others you've made if you look so beat up over it." Python walked further into the kitchen to look Lukas up and down. "Can't ya just make more?"

"I cannot. We've run out of mix."

Python scratched the back of his neck and looked around for a moment.

"Well... I was gonna head to the store today already, want me to get you some more?"

"I couldn't ask you to do that for me, Python..."

"I insist, Lukas."

"But..." Lukas shuffled a bit in place, trying his best to not continue to refuse the offer. He couldn't help but feel a little bad, and like he was making Python feel pressured to do such a thing for him. "A-alright. At least allow me to pay you back once you do."

Python only let out a hum in response, and headed out of the room to get his boots and jacket to pull them on.

"You're leaving already?"

"Yup. I was just chillin' for a few minutes on the couch before I headed out, and I chilled, so it's time to head out. Wanna come with me?"

Lukas quietly nodded, and went to his own room to get ready.

* * *

"So what kind do ya usually get?"

"Well," Lukas said quietly as he looked through the various cake mixes closely, trying his hardest to choose between them all, "I actually just have to force myself to pick one, since they're all so yummy."

Python just shrugged and stood back, watching Lukas scan the whole aisle intently. It was pretty amusing to him to see Lukas so focused on something like this, with that slight furrow in his brow as he struggled to make a choice. The small little hums and grumbles as he got agitated from not being able to choose were pretty cute, too, especially since he had started to pout a little bit.

"Gracious... I can't ever choose..."

"Hm." Python decided to pity him and look around too. "'Ey, that kind's not one I've seen here before, is it new?"

He barely moved out of the way before Lukas hurried over to that spot to look over every single type of mix in the area he had been focused on, ruby eyes shining brightly as he found the mix in question. He grabbed it to look it over and read everything on the back of the package, a small grin on his face the entire time. That grin fell when he noticed the price, though.

"Oh... It's a bit expensive though..."

"Is it?" Python peeked at the price tag, and only rolled his eyes when he saw the how much it costed. "Dude, it ain't expensive. Grab as many of 'em as you want."

He put his hand up when Lukas opened his mouth to protest, and pointed at the cart. Lukas grabbed three more packages of the mix with a small sigh and placed them inside, another small pout on his face.

"Dammit dude, quit poutin' like that. It's too cute."

"I'm not cute..."

"With the way you're crossing your arms right as you're sayin' that, you're only provin' me right." Python replied with an amused chuckle.

He only snickered again when Lukas let out a huff and looked away, and they left the aisle to finish up their shopping with few words.

* * *

"Thanks for comin' with me, stud. Enjoyed the company."

"It's no problem at all, Python. Thank you so much for getting that mix for me."

Lukas went to grab his wallet, but froze when he heard Python speak again.

"Whaddya think you're doin'?"

"Paying you back, just like I said I would? That mix isn't cheap and I got more than one."

"I never said you needed to do that, keep the change."

"Python..." Lukas's tone was almost pleading. "_Please_ let me pay you back, you didn't even have to do such a thing, and I wish to express my gratitude..."

Both were at a standstill, looking at each other as they awaited a response of some kind to proceed. Python's mind was working hard right now, trying to find out what he should do. Of course he wasn't going to accept anything from Lukas in the form of money, that's why he didn't even say any words to respond to him about this earlier, but he wasn't quite sure how to reply.

_Fuck it, I'll just wing it and see where it goes._

He opens his arms.

"Gimme a hug. Ya came with me for once and got out of the house more than you usually do outside of heading to the park with me, or to go on your own short store runs, or to go visit Claude 'n Dimitri. That 'n the hug is enough."

He was almost sure that Lukas was about to refuse, until he sighed in defeat and put his wallet back in his pocket, before coming over to wrap his arms around Python without hesitation.

"Well now, that was much more bold of you than last time, eh?"

"I WILL be paying you back legitimately with money one day, Python."

"We'll see."


	21. Chapter 21

Python stared out of his bedroom window, swirling the drink in his hand around as he let his mind wander. It didn't really wander too far away from one topic, though.

_"I WILL be paying you back legitimately with money one day, Python."_

_"Python, must you do this? Right in front of my salad? Yes, I quoted a meme, but that isn't the point."_

_"This is my best friend, Python. His tongue is sharp, but it very much matches his mind. He's quite the character."_

_"Thank you so much, Python. Your support and friendship means so much to me."_

Python froze, a realization hitting him all too suddenly.

"...Uh oh. I think I like him."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And I oop-


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has a bit of a timeskip, since the previous chapter had taken place around early November. It's now December in the story.

It was just one of those times, and Felix knew it. One of those rare times that had him really wanting to go out and about with someone. And when he'd received a text from Claude and Ashe at the same time inviting him to go see the lights at the park with them, he was already hurrying to get ready by the time he started typing out the replies to them.

* * *

It was a bit slow getting into the park due to the line of cars (but there was never _not_ a massive line, to be fair), but once they finally entered the park, Felix was lost in all he saw around him.

Top to bottom, Christmas lights as far as the eye could see.

He was absolutely enraptured by the beauty of it all, eyes wide and completely silent aside from the occasional soft "wow" as he looked through the windows at everything he could. He only noticed the SUV he and the others had been riding in had been parked when he heard it turn off and Dedue take out the key. Felix wasted no time unbuckling his seatbelt and opening the door to hop out and wander a bit around the vehicle to take in some of the lights more closely.

"You look like a deer in headlights, Felix! Is it really that cool to you?"

"...Uh-huh." The reply was short, and he didn't once turn to look at Hilda when she had spoken. "It's been so long. Everything's so different now. I forgot how much I liked seeing it and how pretty it all is."

"Well then, we have plenty of time to look around even further, and get you accustomed to it all again. Come with us this way, Felix, we're all going to get some hot chocolate and a snack to hold us over as we walk."

Only at that did he turn to look at the others, and hurried over to be next to Claude and Ashe with a nod to Dedue as they headed to the bathhouse for the old pool nearby to get themselves the drinks and snacks.

* * *

"Oooooh, the big pergola's got such pretty lights this year!"

"Let's go walk under it then, Fe!"

Felix was bright and chipper in no time, a big smile that barely left his face as he tried to look at all of the lights and sculptures made from them. Santa, reindeer, toy soldiers all around. Big, glittery displays that faded between all sorts of colors. Big lights, little lights. There was even a light display with some monkeys on one of the small islands in the park's big lake that he vividly remembered seeing even as far back as his early childhood. There were so many things he saw that he could remember exactly, but so many new things to add to it all. He took Ashe's hand, and the two almost skipped to go under the pergola, long enough to take a few minutes to walk in and out of. It was always Felix's most favorite spot in the entire park. Both of them were in awe at the pretty purples and reds of the lights decorating it all this year. They were almost glittering.

"Hey Fe, you mind if I include you in some pictures of the trip I'm taking?"

He looked up at Claude and shrugged with a grin. "I don't see why not. Did you want one now?"

He nodded, and lifted his phone up to ready it for a picture. Ashe pulled Felix in for a hug, and smiled even brighter when he felt Felix hug him back even tighter, and be able to rest his head atop Ashe's because of the heeled boots he'd chosen for the trip. A click and a flash, and the picture was taken.

"Hold, lemme see this... Awwww, that's _so_ cute! I managed to get a perfect one on the first try!"

He showed the two when they hurried over to ask for a peek, and they nodded with approval of the shot. After that, and a few more pictures were taken with few of the others among the group, they all proceeded onwards.

"Hey, Claude, have you ever seen Felix this happy before? It's so cute!" Hilda leaned in to whisper. She and Claude both giggled when Felix had begun to speak particularly loud as he and Ashe wandered about together to look at some things nearby.

"Nah, he's not really this happy too often. I'm glad he's enjoying himself so much for once, it makes me really happy to see it. Getting with Ashe a month or two ago has really boosted his mood overall lately alongside his meds being back into his system."

He looked up when he was called, and saw Felix and Ashe returning to the group.

"Hey, Ashe and I are gonna walk on our own for a short bit, okay?"

"Sure thing, I'll let you guys know if we want you to join us again for a while or if we're ready to go before you come back, yeah?"

With a quick nod, the two were off once again, fingers intertwined as they jogged off towards the little amphitheater in the middle of the park.

"Those two are gonna go make out there, I just know it." Sylvain said with a lopsided grin and a sip of his hot chocolate. "It's completely dark over there save for the lights on the back facing the road."

"Sylvain. Cease for tonight, please. At least until everything's all done."

* * *

The amphitheater was Felix's second favorite place in the entire park. It was always so quiet, so empty. It had a special sort of serenity to it that he felt when going to an abandoned building or something of the sort to wander around and explore. He and Ashe sat on the ground at the very foot of the stage, looking up at the sky above them. Not once did they let go of each other's hands, only briefly tightening their grip once in a while as an affectionate gesture.

"Hey, Felix?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm so happy you agreed to come with us all tonight. It means so much to me."

"I mean..." Felix had so much he wanted to say, but so few words to say them. The way Ashe was looking at him, so sweet and compassionate, wasn't helping him really figure that out. "I'm glad I had the mental energy to handle it tonight. I've been wanting to join you guys on hangouts again for a while, but haven't been able to really do much aside from drag myself out of bed to take care of basic needs. But it's all working out, and I'm not feeling drained or overstimulated at all yet thanks to you and Claude, so I guess I could also thank the both of you for inviting me, too. It's good to be with all the other fellow Golden Deer again."

Ashe leaned his head on Felix's shoulder, and it fell into yet another peaceful silence between them for a bit. But not for too long, considering what the main thing Felix had wanted to say this entire time had finally come to him when he had the courage to do it.

"I wanna tell you something."

A soft hum, and Ashe's eyes were right on him. He was more than relieved the staring didn't affect him negatively this time.

"I'm so happy we're together now. You know the whole thing about us basically being oblivious of each other's mutual feelings since the Officers Academy at this point, so I think it's safe to say this by now..."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that I love you."

That got Ashe to freeze, eyes wide and mouth agape as he could do nothing but stare. Of course Felix was patient, but he couldn't help but feel the nervousness creeping up his spine at not understanding what such a reaction was for. He didn't have to really wonder long though, considering his mind had gone completely blank once Ashe yanked him in to give him a kiss.

So much could be felt in all of this. So much happiness. So much excitement. So much love. So much to try and process, but was making everything keep to an even more intense standstill in Felix's mind. He'd given up trying to analyze all of this, and just let his mind wander freely as the kiss deepened. How long had passed, neither knew, nor did they care once they broke free and pulled each other in for a hug.

"I'm so happy to finally hear you say that, Felix... I love you too, so much..."

Was Ashe... crying? That tremble in his voice didn't really leave much to wonder about, even for Felix. He only smiled and moved a hand up to gently run his fingers through Ashe's hair as the two gently rocked back and forth, holding each other close. The quiet beeping from Felix's phone interrupted them, and he pulled it out to check and see who had texted him. It was from Claude.

'We're about to get on the Ferris Wheel, you guys wanna join us?'

Felix's eyes lit up when he had read that. He grinned and quickly stood up when Ashe gave an eager agreement to it, and the two were jogging back over to the ride to meet the group there.

* * *

"Wooooah... This is _crazy..._"

Ashe was almost worried Felix would lean too far, he'd been so focused on everything below them once they had reached the very top of the ride. He couldn't help it though, he was so amazed at all of it! The lights were so cool looking from so high up in the air! But before he knew it, everything had begun to move once again at a much slower speed to let everyone off. He had a bit of a wobble in the first few steps he took once he was back on the ground, but he didn't look troubled whatsoever.

"That was so cool, I never knew riding a Ferris Wheel would be like that."

"Wait, you've never ridden on a Ferris Wheel before?!"

"Nope. Never. Not in my 22 years of life have I ever even been so close to one, either."

"Man," Raphael said, "you've missed out on _so_ much! We're gonna be sure to give you as many experiences as you can have tonight! You ever been on a carousel before?"

Felix shook his head, and almost laughed at how Raphael had spluttered from shock.

"Well then, we're gettin' on this one tonight! C'mon, guys!"

Before Dedue could ask any questions, Raphael grabbed his hand, and led him and everyone over to the carousel.

* * *

With a wave goodbye to everyone else before the SUV had driven off, Ashe and Felix walked up the steps and went inside Ashe's house.

Both heaved out a happy sigh as they both took their shoes off by the door, and the two headed into the bedroom. Ashe didn't waste time taking his coat off and tossing it over the chair at his desk, and flopping down onto the bed to sprawl out. He watched Felix meander about the room, laying his coat over Ashe's after he fixed it to drape over the chair's back neatly, and opened the backpack he brought to pull out his 3DS and game case before he joined Ashe on the bed.

"Woah, why's your home menu different than other 3DS ones?"

"I hacked it to use Homebrew stuff." Felix mumbled a bit as he looked through the many icons flooding the custom themed menu he'd made for himself, before selecting an Animal Crossing ROM he'd downloaded onto the system. "And made my own theme. And I also found a bunch of ROMs and different versions of games I already have. I'm gonna check on my town in Wild World for a minute to make sure Mitzi didn't move, before I head over to a fan translated version of Miitopia."

Wow, Felix was always smart, but it never failed to blow Ashe away when Felix showed just how smart he could be. Hacking, custom themes, ROMs... All that stuff confused Ashe entirely, but he'd be damned if he didn't think it was all super cool to hear Felix talk about.

He watched Felix play Animal Crossing, and would occasionally make a comment about a villager he'd see passing by, or something he saw that he liked. He knew Felix had a love for cute things, but he didn't realize just how much until he saw a room Felix had made into and extra bedroom on the bottom floor. Pink and lace all through the room. It definitely matched the cute outfit his character was wearing. He checked through some drawers, and left the room to go upstairs and save before he exited the game. That's when he scrolled a few icons over to select that fan translation of Miitopia he'd mentioned earlier.

* * *

Felix was so deep asleep, that he'd been occasionally letting out soft snores. Ashe had never seen him so deep asleep before. He took time to just look at Felix's face, so much more relaxed and peaceful looking now as he slept. He moved the small bit of hair covering Felix's mouth to the side before placing the softest of kisses there.

"G'night Fe, I love you."

Once he'd nestled closer to Felix, he closed his eyes, and off to sleep he went.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Felix has gotten back on track thanks to Ashe and Claude as is, so having Ashe by him to help him feel more comfortable opening up is definitely a thing that will happen over time. Also I really really wanted to write out Felix's softer and more chipper side for once.


	23. Chapter 23

Felix stared down at the table as he stood next to Ashe, a grin on his face wide enough to make it close to cramping. He tried his hardest, but the harder he tried, the harder it was to contain his laughter. He finally lost it, letting out a wheeze before the laughter came out of him loud enough to make the room echo.

"WHat-_WHAT_ the fuck is-oh my _GOD_ this derpy little bastard is still so _funny!_"

He only laughed harder the more he tried to speak, and soon Ashe was laughing right along with him. That laugh of his was completely contagious.

"C'mon, I tried to make due until Claude brought the lemons!"

"I KNOW BUT-_why_ is this so funny to me?!"

Felix eventually had to lean on Ashe's shoulder to keep from looking at what had made him laugh so hard, since looking at it more had only made him laugh harder. There on the table sat a banana, toothpicks inserted on the bottom to hold it up, googly eyes stuck on it, and peeled just enough to make room for the penny slightly wedged inside it. It sat proudly displayed next to the lemon pigs that the pair had made earlier, with all three creations facing the room to look out at it all. Felix's lemon pig was absolutely _perfect_, Ashe thought. The clove eyes were symmetrical, the small carves in the lemon's peel for the ears were the perfect shape and resembled a pig's real ears, and he had twisted and shaped the tinfoil for the tail so effortlessly.

Ashe's on the other hand was...decent. The carves for the ears had been a bit wonky, and he had cut the lemon a bit too much so the mouth still showed when the penny was put inside it. He had also had trouble trying to copy how Felix had fashioned his pig's tail, and just made it a bit of a zigzag instead of a twist. Felix _loved_ it, even though he had giggled a bit at it too, but Ashe felt a bit inferior when he compared the two creations for too long.

So, instead of compare, he decided to just roll with the moment, and here he was having a good laugh with Felix hugging him tight. He hurried to go get a tissue when Felix had been reduced to tears, and the other took it with a thank you and blew his nose. The action had gotten his focus averted just enough to allow him a chance to start calming down and to catch his breath.

"Oh Goddess... I haven't laughed this hard in so fucking long. I needed that."

"I'm glad my shoddy improvisation could bring you up!"

"Don't call it shoddy." Felix tossed the tissue in the trash can, and looked at Ashe with an intensity he hadn't had in a while. It almost made Ashe want to shrink away a bit. "Everyone has different levels of skill with different things. You'll get better at arts and crafts as you keep doing them. I'll help you if you want to get into it."

Well, that completely changed to atmosphere. Not necessarily in a bad way though, especially since Felix's determination and desires to support were becoming more obvious by the second. It made Ashe feel so happy seeing him so open, whether he realized he was expressing so much emotion or not.

"Y'know, I think I _do_ wanna try it. Teach me your ways!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Modern Ashelix=tooth rotting fluff and domestic life. Just putting that out there.


	24. Chapter 24

Ashe peeked his head into the main room, seeing Felix pacing back and forth as he spoke on the phone.

"Yeah? And what did they say about that? ...Oh, good. Yeah, he needs the extra support here and there, it's good they decided to cut that from the IEP."

Ashe had walked into the room now, and gave Felix a curious look and a tilt of his head when he had turned to look. He didn't say anything though, and just headed over to sit down on the sofa as Felix kept up his talk.

"Wait, they said WHAT to Mrs. B? Aw hell no, I'm glad she's got the sass she does, that shit's not okay. But she handled it before it escalated at least. So she's coming in for the usual meeting with you at the apartment? ...Ah. Well tell her I say hi- huh? Oh. Yeah, I guess I could walk over there when she comes. Next Monday, right?"

A few more minutes had passed, and Felix had finally hung up and took a seat next to Ashe.

"It was my auntie. We were just talking about my cousin and his school stuff."

"Oh, I see. Is everything alright at school?"

"Mm-hmm." Felix nodded and took a look back down at his phone for a moment. "Just the usual bullshit of our part of the city having a shitty special education system at the high school. But his teacher is really good, and takes _no_ bullshit, so she told the others off before they could do much and make decisions about my cousin's IEP before she could. She was my teacher when I was back at the high school for that little catch-up I did a year or two ago for a few months."

Ashe hummed in reply, and then the two fell silent. They spent a while together in a peaceful silence, just doing their own thing as they sat by each other. The times of peace and quiet like this were always a time Felix enjoyed, it didn't take away from the quality of time spent by Ashe when they didn't focus so intensely on each other, and just passively bonded like this. If anything, it was another thing that brought him even closer to the other, and made him even more comfortable and trusting of him.

* * *

"Wow, I knew I lived _super_ close to you, but I didn't realize just _how close!_"

"Yup." Felix said. "Car rides make it seem short enough to not be able to gauge it well, but walking the trip makes it clear. See, you can even see the apartments from here, and we haven't even gotten far away from our house yet."

Ashe almost stuttered. _Our_ house... Felix had moved in with him about a week or two ago, but the whole thing was still so unbelievable to him. It was still almost surreal to him that he and Felix had been a couple for months now, and now they're at the point of _living together._ And to hear Felix so easily address it as such made the excitement bubble up in him all over again.

"Ope, careful there."

Ashe was snapped out of the daze he'd fallen into when Felix had pulled him away from stepping right into a pothole in the apartment complex's road. He'd have been embarrassed, if Felix hadn't smiled at him with a sigh and shake of his head, and grabbed his hand to lock their fingers together for the rest of the walk. They walked under the breezeway of the building Felix had been located in, and he knocked on the door before opening it up to walk inside with Ashe in tow.

"Hey, it's just me and Ashe." Felix called out. "Just here for a little visit."

* * *

"Oh, and I forgot to tell you earlier, but Johnathan drew you something when he was at school before break started."

"Huh? Why didn't you remember to tell me?! Lemme see!"

Felix's aunt handed Felix a piece of paper she'd brought in, and Ashe took a peek at it too with a small 'aaawww'. It was a simple picture, with Felix and his cousin in the middle, holding hands. Though with the way it was drawn, it was just the ends of their hands touching, since they were ovals. His cousin wasn't as advanced in his art skills, but Felix could definitely tell that his cousin tried super hard on it. The way he colored it wasn't as messy and careless as it usually was when he drew pictures, and he clearly tried to keep the color inside the lines as much as possible. There were still some places that the color went out of the lines a bit, and wasn't very neat compared to the other parts, but it wasn't anything Felix would ever dream of complaining about. His cousin had also drawn Felix's body as a triangle, likely hinting at the dresses and skirts he'd sometimes wear out and about, and had drawn his hair up in a high ponytail with two little triangles at the base to make Felix's favorite red hair bow. He'd even drawn Felix's eyes with tiny little angry eye lines and two little eyelashes at the bottom.

"So whaddya think, Felix?" His aunt asked with a grin.

He stared at the picture in silence for a long while, eyes glassy from the tears that wanted to fall.

"...I love it..."

"Awww, Fe." Ashe hugged him when he had let out a sniffle.

"I'm keeping this. _FOREVER._" Felix hugged the picture close with a grin through his tears. "I'm hanging this up on my wall and I'm gonna look at it all the time when I need some cheering up."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In 'A Little Letter and a Heart Sticker', I talked more about Felix's cousin, so here he is introduced here, too. Now with a name. Out of every person Felix knows, his cousin is the only one he can so easily drop his walls for, no matter who or what may see.


	25. Chapter 25

He saw it all, and he felt many things.

Sylvain could see the genuine joy spread all across Felix’s face when he was with Ashe. Even if he had his usual blank expression, Sylvain could see it in his eyes and hear it in his speech. He was happy for Felix, but at the same time…he was in pain.

He loved Felix so much. He wanted to be the one in Ashe’s place, holding Felix close to say sweet things and give him kisses. To show him how much he’s loved and treasured. To see Felix’s soft side that he only showed to those he cares about.

The one he didn’t show Sylvain.

* * *

“What’s your deal?”

“Huh?” Sylvain looked up at Felix, who sat down next to him and stared at him with a confused look. “I’m all good, don’t worry ‘bout me. Just got some stuff on my mind is all.”

“Will you cut that shit out already?” Felix replied with annoyance. “I’ve never once believed you when you say stuff like that, since it’s obvious something’s wrong. I just never pressure you. Why don’t you ever tell me anything? Do I really come off as that cold and unfeeling that you hide things from me all the time?”

That surprised Sylvain, to say the least. He wanted to voice these things, but he was worried that Felix would just call it stupid or something for being so worked up over it. He knew Felix wasn’t ever as mean as he tried to convince himself he was, it was just an issue with his own worries that had gotten out of hand before he noticed it. And it made him feel worse that it was noticeable to everyone but himself.

“No, it’s not that at all! I just…was worried you’d find it stupid.”

“Did you really just say that? The only thing I find stupid is how you think I would judge you for venting to me. I may be an asshole, but I’m not an overall shit human, Sylvain. People have emotions, and different things affect different people. Just get it off your chest, I’m one of the last people in the world to be worried about involving judgement for being down.”

Well, he wasn’t exactly wrong. Felix has literally been severely depressed for over five years straight, so it’s not like he wouldn’t understand what Sylvain goes through… If anything, Felix would be the one to understand the best out of everyone he hangs out with all the time.

“I’m… I miss you.”

“...Huh?”

“I miss you, Felix.” Sylvain said quietly. “We barely ever really hang out anymore. I mean, we hang out all the time, but we don’t _ hang out_, y’know? We never really spend time together, just exist in the same space. Well, that’s how I feel about it, anyway. I feel like I’m always in the way and getting on your nerves, and taking up your time that could be spent with Ashe.”

For a long while, it had been completely quiet. It was both relieving and maddening for Sylvain. He was relieved that there was no judgement, but the lack of a response scared him. What did Felix feel about this? Did he even have a response?

“I see. Well, there’s no need to worry about annoying me.”

Sylvain looked up to see Felix watching him with a look he couldn’t quite place.

“I won’t lie to you, you _ do _ definitely annoy me all the time, but when has that ever _ not _ been a thing? When I let you stay around all the time, it isn’t because I’m just tolerating you and letting you just take up space until you leave me alone, that’s just how I spend time with people. I’m not outwardly social, Sylvain. Sitting in silence with me for hours on end is one of my favorite ways a friend and I can bond.”

Sylvain was surprised, but he let himself smile at the honesty. It made him feel much better finally getting that off his chest, especially since it was received well. Well, he  _ thinks _ it was received well, he can’t ever be too sure, since emotion isn’t really Felix’s strongsuit.

"You're not annoying to the point of me not wanting you around. Far from, actually." Felix continued. "Sure, you emotionally and mentally drain me, but literally the _only_ two people who _don't_ are Ashe and Claude, due to key similarities we share. If you feel something to be off, just say it, it's better than letting things fester to the point of worrying over every small detail."

"Yeah..." Sylvain said softly, and let out a chuckle. "You're right. Sorry about that. I'll uh... I'll try not to let myself get all worked up to the point of hiding things from you like this in the future."

"Don't apologize. We've got it handled now, so let's just move forward from here."

"Sounds good to me."

Much better. Sylvain felt so much better. That wasn't nearly as bad as he thought it would be. Sure Felix was a bit blunt, but he didn't take it bad at all. He didn't judge or get angry, or mock Sylvain whatsoever. And it eased so much of that pain because how well this ended. Of course that longing and pain was still there...

...But Sylvain was confident that things would get easier in time.


	26. Chapter 26

Tomorrow is a day Python dreads. And now, he dreads it more than he ever has before.

The amount of prying questions from his pals were driving him crazy. "So, you got a valentine this year~?" "You gonna go out there and nab a keeper this year?" "You could easily catch a nice lady with those charms of yours, go out there and find her!"

He cut the hangouts short, that's for sure. He was too close to punching them to ignore how annoyed he was getting. Especially when his friends tend to conveniently forget that he's more drawn to other men in terms of romantic attraction. Or they don't even know he's bi. He's not even sure anymore, he's too focused on trying to get this out of his head to remember.

All day was spent wandering about the house and sitting, deep in thought as he tried to keep himself occupied until he can just toss this away and forget about it.

"Python, are you alright? Is something on your mind?"

Well, there goes the chances to get this damned forced holiday out of his head. Especially when the one complicating it for him made to pull out a chair at the dining room table to sit next to him, completely quiet as he awaited a response.

Python took in a deep breath, and turned to look at Lukas. "Hey, you ever uh... You ever have years where you despise Valentine's Day? When people try to force things on you like it's a damn legal requirement to find a girlfriend if you're a guy?"

He was relieved to find the same annoyance in Lukas's eyes as he nodded quickly with a frown. "Indeed I do, I've even scolded Clive for this recently since I had revealed to him that I do actually feel romantic attraction. Though I suppose it is partly my fault, considering I never told him that I'm gay..."

"Oooh, _yikes..._"

"Yes, it was a rare occurrence that involved me actually having trouble controlling my anger." Lukas continued. "But I finally had interrupted him with the coming out statement, and he immediately was apologizing for assumptions. Aside from this, no one else encouraged, and only a few asked. Forsyth asked me about if I had any plans in general, and he nodded and didn't pressure when I told him I didn't. He only replied with 'that's alright, not everyone does, hopefully no one else tries to force you.'"

Python smiled at that. Forsyth was definitely the kind to accept anything like this. He was one of the most open-minded people Python knew and grew up with, that's for sure. He was right there with Lukas as being the nicest, most gentle, but will put his foot down when needed. Friendly, loyal, eyes as bright as the sun from how sweet he is. Ones Python could look into forever if he could-

_...FUCK. NOT HIM TOO._

Too late. Him too.

Python wanted to slam his head right through this table.

* * *

Lukas looked at the picture in his hand with a small smile.

Python had his arm around Lukas, with that big grin Lukas loved so much. He could remember that warmth as easily as he breathed, and remembered the longing he felt to feel it again. Forsyth was on his other side, with his own arm around Lukas as well, the other held up to wave at the camera. That smile always made Lukas feel warm and protected from the cruelty of the world. When Forsyth was by his side, he felt no paranoia of people, because he knew he was safe and protected in this man's presence. Forsyth's hugs were always enjoyable, and the morning he had stayed over, and Lukas found he had begun to cuddle with Forsyth in their sleep, he felt the comfort and happiness spread through his chest.

Attractions may be new for him to have, and something he had a hard time understanding, but something Lukas _did_ know, and could finally realize and believe...he'd been longing for these two for a long time. These two were the ones who made him realize that he isn't as broken as he felt and was told. When he was around Python and Forsyth, he felt things. The things he thought he lacked, the thing he saw when he saw Clive and Mathilda together...

...He felt that fire.

But the fear he felt of these two not feeling the same ate away at him, so he never once brought it to their attention, and never dropped hints. They know the things he does are to show affection in a friendly manner, and they don't find it odd, so Lukas keeps it to that alone. But he wants so badly to tell them, to make his feelings known. And tomorrow being Valentine's Day only made his anxiety worse, especially with how annoyed Python was at it this year. There was no way he'd accept Lukas and his feelings...was there?

A knock at his door startled him out of his worries.

"Lukas? Are you alright in here?"

Forsyth? What was _he_ doing here?

"I am." Lukas replied. "Is there something I'm needed for?"

"Python wanted me to come get you for dinner, so whenever you're done with what you're doing, there's a plate ready for you already."

"Thank you, Forsyth, I'll be out in a moment."

And once Forsyth's footsteps quieted, Lukas heaved out a sigh. His gaze went right back to the picture in his hands, and he gave one last quick observation of it before standing to put it back on his bookshelf, and opened his door to head to the kitchen.

* * *

Dinner was much more relaxed than Python and Lukas thought it would be, but that was something Forsyth was good at. He always lifted people's spirits with his cheerful demeanor.

"I'm so happy that I could make it to visit the both of you again, I was getting tired of everyone trying to pressure me about traditions I'd rather not go into detail about without permission."

"Ugh, they're bitchin' at _you_, too?" Python said with annoyance. "I mean, I dunno what appeal _I_ have, but _you_, I can see it."

He barely caught himself to prevent his eyes widening, and he cursed himself frantically in his mind. Only when he saw no negative reactions did he better calm himself.

"Do I? How so?"

"You're not like many men a person will find out there." Lukas said. "You're a very kind and eccentric man, who cares deeply and tries to help all who need it. To many, you are an ideal man to have as a partner due to your compassion and loyalty."

Forsyth stared at the two for a moment, but the very moment he processed what was said, he bashfully looked to the side with a smile.

"I...I suppose that is true?" He took a moment to think before he continued, actively ignoring how hot he could feel his face getting. "But the fact I only am pressured to find a woman is a bit disheartening. What if I were to find a man I genuinely care about and want to see if things would work between us? I'm not straight, I'm omnisexual..."

The hope Python and Lukas both felt was like a heavy warmth that filled their chests.

"Yeah, people keep tellin' me to get a girl, too, it's gettin' on my nerves. Like, I'm pretty sure I've told 'em all that I prefer dudes in this way, but right now I can't really remember if it was like one or two people I told, or all of 'em. You're the only one aside from Lukas that hasn't been pressurin' me."

"And you were right beside me when I had to interrupted Clive to tell him I'm gay to get him to cease, Forsyth. You and Python are the ones who helped me keep my composure."

"And you two are the only ones who didn't pressure me, either. And I'm beyond thankful for that and the both of you overall, I hope you both know that."

* * *

  
All night, all three of them had been unable to sleep, the pressure still echoing in their minds and keeping them awake.

"I can't fuckin' take it anymore, I still hear the bitchin' in my head." Python grumbled. He sat up and rubbed his face with a groan.

"I thought I was the only one to still have the pressure on my shoulders..." Forsyth also sat up, his eyes cast to his hands in his lap.

"This is getting on my nerves as well." Lukas added, and sighed.

Python was tired of it. Lukas was tired of it. Forsyth was tired of it. All three were tired of it.

"I'm fuckin' done, it's only gonna get worse tomorrow, so I've got an idea if you two'll be on board with me on it."

"What is it?" Lukas and Forsyth asked in unison.

For once, Python couldn't actually answer right away. These two and their focus on him directly made him feel small, and made him unsure about himself and his decisions. But he was able to cut off the thoughts before they took over.

"Let's all be each other's valentines."

Was that...a _happy_ look in Lukas's eyes? He could've sworn that he'd seen Lukas light up at that suggestion for a moment. He'd question it later.

"I am...I-I'm willing to agree to this..." Lukas said softly.

"I...I suppose I am, too..."

_Oh my God. Fucking jackpot. JACKPOT._

"You two sure? Ya seem unsure-"

"I am sure that I would be happy to join you in this." Lukas replied, a bit too quickly for his own tastes if the way he froze and sunk away a bit was anything to go by.

"Me too, I'm happy to see where this goes!"

_Gods dammit Forsyth, you're wording it like I asked you two out on a date... Wait. Did they take it as that? I mean I ain't at all opposed to that, but..._

"Alright then, it's settled." Python grinned despite the turmoil in his mind. "You two are gonna be my valentines. Maybe people seein' us all together tomorrow will get 'em to shut the _fuck_ up."

Lukas chuckled at that and nodded in agreement.


End file.
